In Your Hands: The Thirtieth Hunger Games SYOT
by LadyCordeliaStuart
Summary: I thought of a name this time! You know what to do.
1. Surprise

Kitty Leek POV

I don't know how I ended up being born in the Capitol. I would have selected Three if I had been consulted. Of course I enjoyed the luxury and comparative freedom, but I couldn't consider myself at home in a place where murder was entertainment. Due to my singular lack of brainlessness, I was placed on the fast track to a high-powered job. Truth be told, I didn't like the life expectancy of politicians, so I chose a less important position. I knew as an escort I would be left alone for the bulk of the year and would not be considered a target. The first opening was for District Nine, the grain District, and I began my work with a minimum of pomp and circumstance.

I didn't feel any guilt due to my work. I did not start nor support the Hunger Games, and they would have gone on whether or not I was there. Nine had no Victors, so I did my best to prepare my Tributes, and I did better than any other escort would have done. It grew wearisome to become a surrogate protector to so many children only to watch them die. Since my college days I'd longed to escape the Capitol, but there was nowhere else to go. It was only after nine years of death that I realized death was the only solution.

My plan would not have worked had I not had a number of advantages. First, the Capitolites were, by and large, vacant. They were easy to trick. The threat came from the skeleton of politicians and schemers that controlled Panem. To escape them, I had to rely on my other advantage: I simply flew beneath the radar. I rarely gave statements, and never of a political nature. I had no real power as an escort and no supporters to rally. I wasn't a threat. I already lived in a secluded area in the Capitol. I merely turned on my stove, draped a towel across it, and left.

Of course, there was a small commotion in the Capitol. Dull old Kitty Leek was more popular in death than she ever was in life. There were glowing eulogies and baroque funerals. I wasn't around to see much of that. The people who so adored me didn't recognize me walking past them in their own fashion and makeup. The Capitol borders were more vigilant, but a rich, vapid Capitol woman looking for the "authentic District experience" could get through with a few illicit jewels. They thought I'd be back in a day, ready to shower off the District filth.

Much as I would have liked to see Three, there was only one place I could go. Even in the Capitol, shadowy rumors of a secret District occasionally surfaced. It wasn't hard to locate, either- it was the only place on a map of Panem that was utterly barren. When I arrived, it was considerably less obliterated. Under the rubble was more rubble roughly shaped into a bunker. A president and loose power structure was in place, but it was clear they needed someone methodical and solid, someone who could get things done. There was a lot to do, and finally they had someone to do it.

* * *

 **Surprise, witches! Kitty lives! Surely you knew she wasn't the type to burn her house down trying to bake a cake.**


	2. District One Reaping

Hunter Duchen POV

There were three of them this time, none of whom I hadn't met before. They were circled around me, kicking me as they taunted.

"Poor scum."

"You don't belong here."

"Go back to the slums, Academy washout."

I just covered my vital organs and ignored them. I'd heard it all a thousand times. They were right about the poor part, but "Academy washout" wasn't warranted, since I was miles ahead of any of them. It must be humiliating for an Academy darling to lose to scum.

"He's not even fighting back," Brilliance said. He bent over me. "What's wrong? Finally realize your place?"

"Nah. Gemm and Mike just needed more time to steal all your stuff," I said through cracked teeth. Brilliance's two henchmen both ran off, leaving me with just the head sadist. Brilliance's glare cracked into a smirk.

"That wasn't bad. It's what you are, anyway: a dirty thief. Don't pretend to be something you're not," he said.

Blood dripped from my chin as I smiled up at him. I'd taken their taunts and their beating for months. I'd dragged myself to the Academy with the money my parents would have used to feed us. I'd fought in torn clothes and I'd come home to make dinner for my exhausted parents. I'd learned that anything I needed I'd have to take care of myself. I'd beaten them in everything, I'd weathered their scorn, and I'd had enough. I got to my feet and wiped the blood from my mouth.

"All right. I'll start acting like myself."

I brought my fist into Brilliance's throat, sweeping his legs out as he bent over. _I'd_ paid attention at the Academy. _I_ knew to aim for the vitals as I kicked.

"I am not a nice boy!" I shouted as I smashed his ribs. "I am not scum!" I continued as Brilliance gasped for breath. "I am not your punching bag!"

Brilliance covered his face with his arms and started to sob. I felt the flesh soften under my assault as I crushed the bones that protected it. I knew that in a fight, you have to destroy your enemy, but this time I wasn't doing it for defense. This was all vengeance.

"You asked for me, and _this is what you got!"_

* * *

Emelia "Emmy" Wolfe POV

People call me "the Princess of District One". I hate it. I don't even understand why they say it. I'm not especially rich. I have a few curves, but I'm no goddess. I'm just another student at the Academy. I'm good enough to get picked as this year's volunteer, but that's not so amazing in One. A lot of us are great fighters. I live in a normal, non-palace house with my parents, my brother Vincent, and my sister Madeline. Vincent never went for the Academy. He's more a lover. He designs jewelry, but he prefers his piano playing.

In One, none of the children have to be scared on Reaping day. Everyone else knew I was going to volunteer, and I was ready. It must be different in the outer Districts. Sometimes I wondered how they went on with such hardship. It didn't seem right.

Philomena reaped Cadence Sloane. I knew Cadence from the Academy. She was a good fighter, but she wasn't arrogant enough to resent me when I volunteered for her. I knew Hunter was the male volunteer this year. Under his tough guy persona was a boy that truly knew how to fight. I peeked at him as we raised our hands, and uncertainty crept up in me. Hunter was a great fighter, and even he looked a little queasy. Probably the pairs from Two and Four were great fighters too. Were my odds really that good?

My family always supported me in my training, and we all knew I was going to volunteer. Mom gave me the token she'd been saving: her wedding ring on a chain. It was another reason to win- they'd send it back to her if I died, but I wanted to give it back to her myself.

"Are you sure about this?" Vincent asked. "It seems so... violent."

"It's too late to be unsure now. But don't worry, I'm ready," I said. For the start of the Games, most of my strongest enemies would be my allies. After that, I'd play it by ear.

"Why would you want to fight a bunch of other people?" Madeline asked.

"You're too little to understand," Dad said. I scooped her up and gave her a hug. Then I hugged Vincent, and then Mom and Dad. They seemed more nervous than I was as they left. I was only a little bit nervous anyway. I'd be silly not to be concerned. Overconfidence would just lead to death at the Bloodbath. I was ready, but I didn't expect an easy Game.

* * *

 **Hunter's story happened a while back, but it seemed like the best way to introduce him. Hopefully it broke the monotony of Reaping POVs. His token is a bird talon.**


	3. District Two Reaping

**Warning! This chapter involves an eating disorder.**

* * *

Mase Nary POV

Not many people in District Two have to steal. That doesn't make it any less fun. There's something so thrilling about choosing who gets to keep their riches and who loses them. That feeling of power and control was what lead me to start throwing knives. You can't run or hide from me. If I decide you're going to die, you're going to die.

Ijolite had on her usual getup. This time she was dripping in agates and crystals- an odd combination, but certainly worth a closer look. I wasn't surprised when Avariella volunteered. I did most of my training alone, but I looked inside the Academy now and then. It was plain that her parents, both instructors, used their influence to secure her spot. Avariella looked dead already. Her almost yellowed skin was thin on her jutting bones. She trained hard, but she couldn't have had the strength to throw a knife ten feet. She looked like a morphling.

When Ijolite called my name, she saved me the trouble of volunteering. I wasn't the Academy's top pick, but their current darling, Cyan, had a secret sweetheart he wasn't keen on leaving. As for the other Tributes, they'd fall before me eventually. I looked forward to not having to pull my punches like I did in the Academy. I took Avariella's glasslike hand and stared the audience down.

My father and brothers didn't bother to come see me. Cale was a cadet at the Peacekeeper Academy, and having a thief for a brother didn't score him many points. As for Hector and Dad, they just didn't seem to like me. The feeling was mutual.

As I waited, I thought ahead to the Games and the other Tributes. For years I'd wondered what it would be like to choose not only what people own but when they die, but I'd never had a chance. In the Games, I was not only allowed, but encouraged to express myself. A rare smile appeared at the thought. All those others were just so many threads I could cut whenever I chose, and the world was finally seeing things my way.

* * *

Avariella Hanson POV

My stomach growled as I got out of bed. I cleared my smoggy throat, and it ached. I dressed myself in a high-waisted blue dress and started my makeup. I brushed my favorite cotton candy-flavored lipstick across my lips, savoring the sweet taste. When I was done, I still wasn't pretty, but I didn't look as ugly as I felt.

Mom and Dad were both busy going over Academy stuff, so they didn't notice when I ate an apple slice and six peanuts for breakfast. They wouldn't have noticed anyway. They only notice me at the Academy, whether it's for nice dagger work or mixing up left and right again. I slipped outside without a word from either of them.

If they'd known what I had planned, maybe they would have cared. I wasn't the best at the Academy, not by a long shot. If I did what I was supposed to, Tia Deese would volunteer and I could stay safe at home. All of that changed because of one boy.

I was never popular at school. The Career hopefuls looked down on me because I couldn't keep my directions straight. The other students looked down on me because I froze up whenever I was supposed to read something from the board. Then one of them found out why.

 _"Hey, tard," Jerod taunted, shoving a piece of paper into my face. "What's it say?"_

 _I looked at the jumble of letters and tried to will them into place. After a moment of confusion, I pieced them together_

Avariella can't read

 _I tore the paper from his hands and ripped it up._

 _"Shut up! I can too!" I hissed, looking around to see if anyone noticed._

 _"Can not. You can't do anything," Jerod said. "It'd be a shame if anyone was to find out."_

That's how I came to start stealing money from my parents to pay off a jerk with a secret. Now it was Reaping day, and I'd show him what I could do.

I watched admiringly as Ijolite swept to the bowl. Ijolite was slender and gorgeous, everything I could never force my body to be. The name on the slip flowed off her tongue with an ease I could only dream of.

"Blayde Evans!" she called. Blayde wasn't even in the Academy, but she was calm as she stood onstage. She knew Tia was itching to volunteer. Unfortunately, I beat her to it. The second Ijolite asked for volunteers I blurted out my claim, and Tia was left glaring at me with such rage I had to look away. In Two, you don't volunteer against the Academy. I guess now they won't like me.

The ground slammed against my feet as I approached the stairs. I was surprised at how steep they were- I was breathing heavily after only three of them. After Mase was announced, I plopped down on the bench backstage and tried to catch my breath.

As I expected, my parents were less than enthusiastic. At least Dad was- Mom didn't show up. According to Dad, she was "busy cleaning up the mess you made".

"I'm glad you're so determined, but you have to respect the rules," Dad said. He sighed.

"I thought this is what you wanted," I said. _It's the only thing you ever cared about._

"You're not ready yet," he said. "Now you'll have to be. Don't let us down."

"I love you," I said as he left. That's why I did almost anything I ever did. Did they love me? I could see why they wouldn't. I had no self-control or discipline. I let my body go and couldn't even keep a healthy weight. I read like a toddler and couldn't even tell left from right. They would have loved me if I was a Victor. I don't know if I ever can be.

* * *

 **I don't have dyslexia or anorexia, so I can't claim to get everything right about them. If you live with either, my errors were from ignorance and not malice.**

 **Avariella, or "Ava", used her lipstick as a token.**


	4. District Three Reaping

Abigail Fuse POV

I didn't even know anything had happened until it was dinnertime and Mom and Dad both weren't home yet. Then Mrs. Nesbit from next door came over, and everything blurred after that.

I woke up from a nightmare and found myself on our dirty living room couch. I couldn't have slept more than an hour at a time, and I would have turned over and gone right back to sleep if it wasn't Reaping day. Even with my father clinging to life after a hit-and-run, the Games went on.

My mother was slumped over at our kitchen table. She jerked up when I came in.

"Is he all right?" I asked. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was red like a bruise.

"He's stable," she started.

"But will he be all right?" I pressed. She looked down like she didn't want to tell me.

"He's going to need a lot of operations," she admitted. I knew we couldn't afford that.

"What are we going to do? I can get another job," I said. I already had two, but they were part-time. I could fit one more in.

Mom pressed a hand to my cheek and her voice wavered.

"Don't worry about it. Just take care of yourself. We can talk more tonight," she said. "I love you."

I didn't want to go, but of course I had no choice. I was silent as I trudged toward the Reaping center. I hugged myself tight and tried to ignore the tears that dripped from my lowered head. The blood drawing, Anthem, and video passed by without my notice.

 _We can't afford medical help,_ I thought. _We hardly even eat._ Mom and Dad were already too thin from giving me all their food. My father was going to die.

Bubbles called out some name. Then a wild hope burst up in me.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" I yelled. Everyone around me turned to gape at me. I ran up to the stage before Bubbles even acknowledged me and stood staring at the audience in determination. Mom and Dad had sacrificed enough for me. This was the only way I could pay them back. Some boy joined me, and I thought of my parents as we raised out hands.

I knew Mom wouldn't be happy I volunteered. When she came in, I held up my hands and tried to explain. She barreled toward me and smacked me, something she hadn't ever done in my life. She was shimmering in fury as she addressed me.

"Isn't it enough I have to deal with my husband dying?" she hissed, but by the end of the sentence it was a sob. "I can't lose you both." She dissolved into anguish and knelt on the floor with her head in her hands.

"Mom," I started when I recovered from my shock. "I just wanted to help Dad-" I bent over her to help her up. She shoved my hand aside.

"You're already dead. You both are," she sobbed. I was so scared and shocked I started crying along with her, and neither of us stopped until a Peacekeeper gently took her away. I was left staring at th door, wondering where I'd gone so wrong.

* * *

Cordin Magnetism POV

I'm glad Telle and Cable are six. That means they don't have to go to the Reaping with me. Most of the kids in the orphanage don't have to, since most of us get jobs and leave as soon as we can. I work too, as a maid in a factory, but I like it here. The kids are nice and it's safer than the outside world.

"Goodbye, Cordin!" Telle and Cable chorused as I left. I saw them waving in the window as I walked. I waved back and smiled. It wasn't all bad, even at the Reaping. I got to meet new kids, and Three won once before. Acee was so cool.

Bubbles was wearing a purple dress with black stripes and a yellow hat with black spots. It sure added some color to the Reaping center. Since my birthday was just yesterday, I took my new place with the other fifteen-year-olds. I was a little nervous, but I knew it wasn't likely I'd get picked.

When Bubbles called the female Tribute, another girl volunteered. I don't know if Three had ever had a volunteer before. She must have been really confident. Maybe we'll have another Victor this year. When the girl went onstage, I saw she had brown hair and was about my height. She didn't look like a Victor, but she must have known what she was doing. Bubbles reached into the boys' bowl.

"Cordin Magnetism!" she called. Before I knew it, I was screaming. Everything crashed down and tears ran out of my eyes.

 _No, I don't want to die,_ I thought. I started to run, smashing into the boys around me. A Peacekeeper caught me at the end of the line and carried me onstage as I kicked and screamed. He held me in place and forced my hand into the air with Abigail's. After the annoucement, he threw me backstage and left me pounding on the door. My breath was so shallow I started to feel lightheaded, and I sat next to the door.

When the door finally opened, Telle and Cable came in. Our caretaker, Miss Tapp, was behind them. The boys piled in next to me and looked up at me with smiles.

"What are you so worried about?" Telle asked. "You'll come home!" He saw my expression and looked confused.

"You're always happy. What's wrong?" he asked. Cable took something out of his pocket. I didn't want to scare them, so I tried to smile back.

"We made this for you," Cable said. He gave me a piece of paper. I unfolded it and saw a drawing of the sun with my face in it. Telle and Cable were dancind underneath it.

"Don't let it get wet," Cable said. I folded it carefully and put it in my pocket.

"Thanks, guys," I said. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. If I won the Games, I could get all sorts of nice things for the whole orphanage. I just needed to stay positive.

After the boys left, I alternated between hyperventilation and nervous laughter. My chances seemed so small, but they were the same as any of us. I'd either face everything I'd ever been terrified of or bring back riches for everyone. All I could do was hope for the best.

* * *

 **I don't have both Tributes from One or Two yet, so I got impatient and skipped to Three. I'll come back to the others when I have them. I need Annietreasure and Ultimatemaxmericashipper to send in their Tributes so I can write about them. Unless you guys already did, in which case please remind me because I done messed up again.**

 **Abigail's token is a friendship bracelet she was wearing. She just didn't think about it during the chapter.**


	5. District Four Reaping

Shogo Hara POV

Hundreds of people are all stuck here together waiting to see who's going to die, and I'm the only one who's smiling. You wouldn't think I'd be happy, after my mother swapped my childhood for years learning how to kill someone, then died with the rest of my family in the fire that destroyed our house. After that all I had was my girlfriend, and she died giving birth to the only thing that made life worthwhile after that. And that's how I came to be the only boy at the Reaping holding a squirming little boy.

Kanu and I do everything together. Of course it isn't ideal for him to be at the Reaping, but school's out, and I don't have anyone else t take care of him. It's almost bearable here with him. As we waited for Gaudius to start things, I tossed him in the air and let him sit on my shoulders.

"Why are they all so scared?" Kanu asked, looking out at the crowd. Before we'd left, I'd told him we were going to see who got picked to be an actor in the Capitol. He'd find out the truth soon enough. My boy was sharp as a whip.

"They think they didn't do a good enough job," I said. "They're worried they won't get picked."

"What if you get picked?" Kanu asked. Gaudius saved me from having to answer. Kanu giggled when he saw our escort's lobster outfit. For once I was glad to see him. Gaudius made my lie much easier to believe. He selected a slip and read a girl's name.

"Scayle Curren!" He called. Scayle turned out to be a tall girl with dark hair and tanned skin. She was there a few minutes before Kisarna volunteered. I'd stopped training when my mother died, but I remembered Kisarna. She never struck me as arrogant or bloodthirsty, so her volunteering wasn't as expected as some, but she was a capable fighter. Gaudius selected the next slip.

"Shogo Hara!" he called. Even after all my training, I felt nothing but fear. My mother made sure I knew how to kill, but she could never make me want to. All I wanted wash to forget everything she ever made me learn.

"Dad!" Kanu cheered. I set him down and turned so he couldn't see the fear on my face. As I walked to the stage, images of my son flashed by me. All the things I would most likely miss tormented me: Kanu graduating, Kanu's first date, Kanu becoming a man. He was everything, and now he was gone. As I stood on the stage, I pretended to fix my hair so Kanu wouldn't see me wiping at my tears. I wanted to cry in fear and scream in rage all at once. When I saw my son jumping up and waving at me, all I could do was smile and wave back.

"I brought you a token, Dad," Kanu said when he came backstage. He handed me the giant spear he was carrying.

"Sorry, Kanu. Weapons aren't allowed in the Capitol," I said. If only that was true. Kanu frowned.

"I didn't bring anything else," he said. I rifled through my pockets and found a scrap of paper I'd doodled a shopping list on. I asked one of the Peacekeepers for a pencil and gave it to Kanu.

"Draw me a picture," I said. Kanu bent over his work with the intensity of a budding artist. I watched as he outlined a beach with choppy waves. Two smiling figures, on short and one tall, stood next to the water with their arms in the air. He labeled one "me" and one "daddy".

"There," he said as he handed it to me. I knew that in all the Capitol, I wouldn't find anything more beautiful than that drawing. My eyes misted as I looked at my beaming son.

"I won't be back for a while," I said. "But you'll see me on television soon. Some of my movies might be scary, but don't worry. I'll be all right."

"Can I come visit you in the Capitol?" Kanu asked.

"I'll need to get settled for a while first, but I'll send for you as soon as I can," I said. I held my son like I'd never held him before. I never wanted to let go of his innocence and joy. I smiled as I waved goodbye. Only after he was gone did I cry.

* * *

Kisarna Talent POV

I don't know why everyone at the Academy encouraged me to volunteer. I was never the standard Career- I just trained in case I got reaped and for some reason no one volunteered. They seemed to think I was the greatest thing since canned tuna. Maybe they were right...

It would sure surprise Arien if I volunteered. We were twins, so of course everything had to be a competition- who could catch the most fish, who could swim the fastest, who could eat the spiciest pepper, silly things like that. Even though he didn't train, we still argued over who was the strongest.

I was still undecided when Gaudius called Scayle. She wasn't a trainee, and I knew she wouldn't have a chance. I ran through the arguments in my head. This year, the male trainees were a tepid bunch. I could beat most of them. From what I'd seen of One and Two, it just wasn't a good year for Careers. With my strategic thinking and methodical attitude, I had a good chance of winning. If I won, I could take care of my family and avoid volunteering next year, when the Tributes might be stronger. I made my decision.

"I volunteer as Tribute!"

I saw Arien watching me as I waited for the male Tribute to join me. I knew Arien was safe. We'd long agreed that it was better for him to stay home. Even if the best happened, if we went together one of us would die. He didn't have to worry about getting reaped, either. In Four, there are always volunteers unless the reaped Tribute is especially capable. We don't waste trainees unnecessarily.

This turned out to be one of those years. Shogo Hara was well-known among the Academy pupils. He'd vanished a while back, right after his mom died. Shogo was a great student, but we all knew his mother was the fighter. Unfortunately for Shogo, he was plenty strong enough for the Academy boys to lie low. It was sickening how brave they could claim to be when they wouldn't volunteer so a father could stay with his barely school-age son. I almost wished I was a boy myself.

I was still nervous when Dad and Arien came to see me off. Dad gave me a dark blue stone on a black chain. He said it would be like bringing a piece of home with me.

"Do you think I'll do all right?" I asked Arien.

"Of course. You're like the best fighter at the Academy," he said, like I'd said something silly. My stomach fluttered and I looked down at the ground. I had to force the words out.

"I know I talk big, but I always thought you were stronger than me. That's one reason I volunteered. I was afraid I was a burden," I confessed. Dad and Arien both started.

"You always underestimate yourself. I _didn't_ volunteer because I was afraid of you!" Arien said. I smiled shakily as confidence bubbled up in me.

"All right. I can do this. I'll be back as soon as I can," I said. I found that I actually thought I could.

* * *

 **I wish I had a good excuse for not writing, but truth be told, I've been watching Dragonball Z for the first time. Man, it's epic.**

 **This time around the Victor's more in your hands, but I must admit I'm pulling for Shogo. Even though he's a guy I want him to win. I hope he's popular.**


	6. District Five Reaping

Skyler Dacher POV

Not everyone in the Districts is poor. My father is a professor and my mother is a doctor, so they go to the Capitol every now and then. One time they even got to bring me, Tyran, and Nicil with them. I was pretty little, so I don't remember much, but it was really colorful and I do remember eating syrupy ice.

Usually I'd be with my friends at a Reaping, but I arrived a few minutes late and they were rows ahead of me. As was always the case when I was alone, my thoughts started running wild. My eyes focused on Ambrosia's glitter ensemble. I wondered how they got that much glitter to stick to her, and how itchy she must be. Then I started to wonder how long it was going to take to wash that glitter out of her hair, and whether the water she showered in was glittery too. Lots of the other escorts I'd seen so far were wearing fur or animal prints. Ambrosia must not have heard about the new trend. Before I knew it, the Anthem was over and it was time for her to pick.

Five is always a mixed bag when it comes to Tributes. Last year it was Farlan and a girl who died in the Bloodbath. Farlan was an odd one. He turned out to be really good at fighting, and then he started talking crazy. The year before that, the girl from Five only had one hand, but she lived for two days. We don't have as many skills as most Tributes do, since we're the transportation District. We can drive when we're fourteen and all, but we can't fish or throw axes or anything useful like that.

Someone was nudging me insistently. My thoughts dissipated and I looked at the girl next to me.

"It's you!" she said. I was confused for a minute. Then I realized. Ambrosia called my name. A thousand thoughts competed for attention as I walked to the stage.

 _Am I going to die? Wow, that was unlucky. The parade will be fun. I wonder who the boy will be. I hope I get a pretty dress for the interview. Maybe a blue one with a frilly skirt and some white shoes. I hope it has shimmery beads._

I shrank in horror when I saw Gordon standing next to me. Of all the people in Five, why did it have to be him? Looking at him was like looking at death. Neither of us moved to take each other's hand, and Ambrosia didn't notice. It wasn't until I was sitting in the Justice Hall that all the thoughts except one winked out.

 _I'm going to die._

I had so many things to do still. I wanted to visit all the other Districts and go work in the Capitol. I had it all planned out. I was going to be a party planner. I loved meeting people and talking to them, and the Capitol loved parties. I couldn't die before any of that happened.

When my family came, I was all smiles. I told them how I was looking on the bright side. I told them I'd get to see the Capitol again and make lots of friends. They didn't buy it. Tyran and Nicil stared at nothing with horrible blank faces. Mom was whispering nonsense to Dad, who was wailing a noise I'd never heard a man make. Within minutes I was crying with them, and the Peacekeepers had to tear us apart.

After they were gone, I tried to think of a bright side. Even I couldn't dream one up.

* * *

Gordon Spokes POV

I didn't mean it when I first started. My parents were fighting again, and their screams tore into my ears. I lit one little match so I could look into the flame and watch it eat itself away. A little piece of it flew away and landed under the tourist train, which was being repaired. They must not have taken out the fuel tank, because that thing went up like a roman candle. Mom and Dad never argued again, and half my chest is nerveless flesh. I was seven years old when that happened, and I've never been a child since.

Something about seeing all that death changed me. At the orphanage, one of the ladies kept asking me why I was so closed and sullen. Then she went away, and people started looking at me funny. After losing my parents to the explosion and losing my freedom to the orphanage, it was like fear was the only thing I could control. Others followed her, from a little girl walking home alone to the classmate who smirked and unfolded an umbrella as I walked by. They all hated me. Maybe it was because of the burns, or because of the pain in my eyes, or their unproven suspicions. I hated them too. I never belonged here. The only place I could ever belong was with other people who weren't afraid to kill- the Capitolites.

A woman picked a name from a jar, and a girl walked onto the stage. I didn't know her. The woman selected another name and called for Dayvid Soyuz. When I volunteered, there was a sizeable reaction. When the others saw who it was that volunteered, silence dropped like a blanket. It pleased me to see the terror on their faces as I stood in front of them. Not a few looked relieved. If I wanted them later, I'd take them.

I didn't have anyone to see me off, and I enjoyed it. There would be no faux sadness and cheap declarations of friendship. I didn't need their tokens, either. I slid my hand under my shirt and felt the slender glass vial on a chain around my neck. Nobody had ever seen it, but if they did, all they'd see was a glass tube with a gummy brownish paste inside. They'd have no idea that it held twenty-three trophies. Soon there would be a lot more.

* * *

 **Gordon's POV seems short, but I think it has about the same amount of words as most of my POVs. He just doesn't have any dialogue to add to the line count.**

 **Skyler has a token, but my notes have it as "small purple, with silver glitter", so it's something small and purple with silver glitter, but I'm not sure what.**


	7. District Six Reaping

Hadley Kinneth POV

I was born an accident. Things have improved since then. Even after Dad and Olivan left to work in the factory across town, we were still a family. Mom worked all day and I cooked and cleaned. We kept each other afloat. Sometimes the food was thin and sometimes my clothes wore ragged, but things could always be worse. I only wished I could contribute more.

In Six, the Hunger Games are nearly always a death sentence. Only Toby ever won, and that was a long time ago. Nearly everyone in the crowd looked terrified as the Anthem played. If they knew what I had planned, a good half of them could rest easy. If my mother knew what I had planned, she'd probably fall over dead. I wasn't sure how I came up with it myself. Maybe it was never getting to see my father and brother. Maybe it was how my mother grew paler every day. I never stopped dreaming of a better life, and the only place to live it was the Victor's Village. I was our only chance.

I didn't have any illusions about picking up a weapon and blazing through the Games. I could kill if I had to, but I had a different plan. Back when I was just nine years old, the girl from Ten won without killing a single Tribute. She just made the Arena work for her and didn't fight it or the others. I was going to be like her. I knew it wa a long shot, but if she did it, I could too.

Otho read the paper and called for Tikket Brown. I didn't know her, but she was plump and had brown hair. I waited until Otho called for volunteers.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" I cried. The girls beside me stepped aside like I was contagious. I felt a nervous smile form as I walked nonchalantly onto the stage. It was a little overwhelming to have all those people staring at me, but I was glad to see Tikket's tear-stained face light up as she darted into the crowd. The male Tribute, Lyte Anderson, was waiting beside me. His eyes were staring emptily and he was trembling. He didn't react when I took his hand.

Mom was alone when she came to see me. She was white as paint and her breath was irregular.

"Where's Dad and Olivan?" I asked. It took her a while to understand me. Her wide eyes seemed to look through me like I was a ghost.

"They couldn't come," she said flatly. My spirit sank a little, but I should have known.

"It's all right. I'll see them soon. Then we'll all be together," I said. Mom opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She turned to look behind her, but nobody was there.

"Are you all right?" I asked. "You need to get more sleep."

A Peacekeeper poked his head in. "One minute," he said. I hopped off the bench and hugged Mom. Her arms settled down around me. When I looked up, she was still looking at the wall.

"Bye, Mom. I love you," I said.

"Love you too," she said. Her voice was empty, like a wandering ghost. Maybe she was just worried, or maybe she was really tired. It was best for her to go home. She didn't leave me a token, but I had the chain bracelet Olivan gave me back when I was eight. I knew the Games were nothing to toy with, but they weren't impossible either. Every year one Tribute came back a Victor, and that Victor was going to be me.

* * *

Lyte Anderson POV

Every year, as soon as I shoved away the terror of the Games, it was time for another one. I was only thirteen, and I'd never taken tesserae, so my name was only in the bowl twice. I knew the odds were in my favor, but I was still afraid.

I tried to push the thoughts away and focus on my studies. Money was tight in my family. Me and my little sister Equua often went to bed hungry. I knew the only way out was the Capitol, and I knew the competition for Capitol jobs was fierce. Nearly all of them went to native Capitolites, with just a few pity slots left to show the Districts that anyone could succeed. Only the most valuable skills would give me a shot, and I studied night and day to make it happen. If I became a doctor, my family would never go without again. I pushed myself to the limit to get good marks and recommendations. It was my only chance.

When Otho appeared, I looked at my feet and squeezed my eyes shut. Maybe if I just made myself small enough, I'd slip right underneath him and he'd call someone else. He called a girl named Tikket. I'd seen her around school. She had lovely brown skin. I heard her crying even without looking at her. I heard Otho rustling around in the other bowl and squished myself down smaller.

"Lyte Anderson!" he called. Coldness rushed all over inside me. I felt my heart pumping spastically against my ribs. All the muscles in my face relaxed, like there wasn't an expression for how scared I was. My head emptied and I floated onto the stage. Everything drifted away.

Someone shook me, and I realized it was Equua. Mom and Dad were behind her, arguing with a Peacekeeper. Equua pressed a cardboard box into my hand. We used it as a pillbox when we played doctor's office together and she was my patient. She said words I didn't hear as my fingers tightened around the box.

Then they were gone. I remembered vague images. Dad was screaming and he grabbed the Peacekeeper's arm. Another Peacekeeper took out his baton, and Mom stepped between them. I looked at the doorway and saw a streak of blood. I wondered if I'd ever see them again. I was a healer, not a killer. Even if I came back, would they be here?

* * *

 **I did not egotistically thrust Cornflower into the chapter to puff myself up... this time. Hadley's profile mentioned that her strategy was to hide and make use of the Arena like Cornflower.**

 **Some of the Tribute descriptions I get are Russian novel-level long. I like all the detail and the depth, but I can't always fit everything into the POVs, so that's why not every detail is in there. I use them all to write the characters, but I can't mention every one in the story.**

 **UPDATE: Stellaslomp didn't actually make Lyte. I accidentally reserved two spots for her, so I filled Lyte in. That might tell you a little about his fate, but he's cool to ally with whoever wants him anyway.**


	8. District Seven Reaping

Reiner Ludwig POV

Two hundred and twelve slips in Mariposa's bowl will break my heart. Six of them were mine. The rest belonged to the children I teached. I saw them littered throughout the crowd with the younger kids. Just yesterday I made them run a good two miles before class was out. Then I sent them home with handmade cupcakes, so I was still a "cool" teacher. I tried not to throw up as Mariposa's hand hovered over the bowl. The stabbing pain in my jaw didn't help. A name formed on her lips.

"Reiner Ludwig!"

A heartbeat of relief was washed away by hot anger. I clenched my fists as I stood onstage, glaring out at the officials who ordered my death. I saw the shock on my student's face morph into grotesque joy and it shocked me. Why were they cheering for my death? I never hurt them.

It all became clear when twenty-two kids streamed into my room at the Justice Hall. They clustered around me and started talking over each other.

"You can do it, Reiner!"

"Seven's finally going to have another Victor!"

"We're gonna tear the Games apart!"

They weren't cheering my death at all. They thought I was going to _win._ Back before my father got a job in Seven as a Peacekeeper, I trained in the Academy at Two. I was a good student, but that was a long time ago. I guess I'd find out how much I remembered.

Before the Peackeepers shooed them away, my students had a lot to say. They talked about how everyone wanted to come see me and how I was a hero to all of Seven. They shushed a girl who started talking about how some people were happy because they didn't like the Capitol and the Career Tributes who always won. They made me promise to come back and make a welcome home cake, which didn't seem fair, since it would be for my own party, but I agreed anyway.

Khaleesy came in after they left. I tried to burn every bit of her beautiful form into my mind, and I knew I wouldn't forget. She looked nervous, which was to be expected, but more like she had something embarrassing to confess. Her brown eyes looked so vulnerable.

"I have to ask you something before you go," she said. She twisted her fingers together.

"What is it?" I asked. She hesitated and then plunged in.

"I know you're shy about these things, but we both know how we feel. Reiner... marry me?"

It was what I'd wanted to ask her for months and was never brave enough to do. It was like she'd given me the greatest present I could ever get without me even telling her I wanted it. I wanted to jump up and hold her forever, but the Games were in the way. They always were. My brain overruled my heart and I started to speak.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I don't know how long that will be. I can't ask you to go through that. I can't make you watch me fight and wonder if you'll ever see your husband again. I love you too much," I said. I was crying as much as she was, and we held each other until it was Kurt's turn to see me.

"At least take this with you," she said. She pressed her lips against mine and gave me the greatest token any Tribure ever had. I watched her leave and a piece of me went with her.

"Hey, little bro. You got this, right?" Kurt said when he came in. The strain in his voice betrayed the cool veneer he tried to put up. I slapped my hand against his.

"Old habits die hard. Remember how we used to burn up the Academy?" I asked. We recalled exaggerated old stories of sword fights and sparring. I almost felt confident when he left. I tried not to think about the things my students would see their teacher doing. I was a role model for them, and the last person I wanted them to be like was me.

* * *

Ashlyn Forrest POV

Mom and Dad were already gone when Woodley and I left the house. They were lumberjacks, like most people in Seven, and they worked all day. It wasn't enough to provide, and Woodley and I both had to take out tesserae occasionally. It was just one more thing I didn't like about my District. It beat Twelve, but it was never home for me.

Usually Woodley and I would joke around or at least talk if we were together, but on the way to the Reaping we were always silent. It was like if we spoke even one word, we'd jinx ourselves. It was a sort of fear I couldn't even share with my brother.

Usually there were separate bowls for the male and female Tributes, but this year Mariposa stood in front of one big bowl with pink and blue slips.

"Gentlemen first, this time," she said, and she called up Reiner Ludwig. I didn't take his gym class, but I'd had a few of his homemade treats. For such a huge guy with such a deep voice, he made good cookies. His students all loved him, even if I wasn't sure about him. He seemed so harsh. I certainly didn't want to run a circuit course before lunch. He had a good chance, though. Seven might reap the benefits of another Victor this year. Mariposa fished out a pink slip.

"Ashlyn Forrest!" she announced. I heard screaming in my head and curled my fingers to resist the urge to pull at my hair. I wanted to cry and shout and run all at once, but I forced a calm expression and stood next to Reiner. I tried to smile as I waved slightly, but it was a twisted grimace.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Mariposa asked. I glanced at Forrest. He was crying and looking from me to the Peacekeepers. I wanted him next to me more than anything, but I didn't want him to die. I didn't know how I felt when he was silent.

Before my family came back, I tried to tell myself that it was just as well, since I hated Seven anyway. The problem was I loved my family. Even if I was willing to risk my life to get out of here, I didn't want to leave them. I also didn't want to die.

Mom and Dad were always tired, so it didn't surprise me that they didn't seem to realize what was happening. Dad handed me the little wooden bear he carved me when I was little, and then they both wandered out. Forrest was much more terribly aware.

"I should have volunteered," he said, dripping tears everywhere. He looked like he'd suddenly realized he was a murderer.

"Then we'd both die," I said. I had to be realistic. I had a chance, but no more chance than a mouse had against a hawk. I tried to console Forrest, but he was still crying when he left. As for me, I was too numb to cry. Maybe later I'd realize just how scary it all was. I hoped I didn't.


	9. District Eight Reaping

James Gray POV

The Hunger Games were the most exciting thing that happened in a year. Of course, we were all required to watch them. My parents always stared at the screen with sad, mourning eyes as they watched other parents losing their children. My brothers and I tried to root the Tributes on and called out unheard suggestions. Deep in my heart, I watched them with feelings I'd never tell anyone. I knew they were wrong and all, but secretly, I thought they were tremendously exciting. I loved the mystery as we found out the latest Victor, and the suspense when we wondered if a Tribute would elude another or lose the Games. I had shameful fantasies about what I would do if I was Reaped, and how I would kill the other Tributes and rise to be a Victor. Those were the darkest parts of me, and I hated them.

Kevin and Patch were too old to get Reaped, so it was just me and Chase. Mom and Dad were kneeling in another room as we left. They always tried to tell us that we wouldn't get picked, since we didn't take tesserae and there were so many kids, but every year I could see how scared they were. There's nothing scarier than seeing your father try not to cry.

I split off from Chase pretty quick and found some of my friends. Even though we have to move sometimes for Dad's job, I always make friends quick. They were wide-eyed and quiet. I tried to cheer them up, since I never really got scared at Reapings. I only got excited. I poined out Remus' skintight snakeskin jumpsuit and a few of them smiled. Remus picked out the ladies' name.

"Keisha Lytton!" he called. My heart lurched when I heard the name. Keisha was my friend. She'd never win the Games. She was so gentle, helping the teacher clean up after class and bringing her flowers. My friend was going to die in the Bloodbath. Keisha's dark eyes cut into us all as she stood onstage, too scared to scream.

"Now the boys," Remus continued. He didn't even look at the terrified girl. "James Gray!"

My stomach fluttered like I was giving a speech in front of the class. My heart started thudding like I'd just run a race, and I felt weightless as I walked onstage. For all my terrible dreams about going to the Games, I never thought I actually would. I didn't really want to die. Those were stupid fantasies.

 _Maybe that's why you got picked,_ I thought. _It's because you wanted it._ What kind of terrible person would _want_ to go to the Hunger Games?

I felt the old excitement creeping up. Even in my real terror, I remembered how much I'd enjoyed watching the Games. It really was exciting to be part of it. I should have been glad a more innocent kid didn't go. I took Keisha's hand.

"It'll be okay. I'll stay with you," I said. She gripped my hand like a life preserver.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Remus asked. Before I could stop myself, I looked at Chase. I didn't hold out any hope that he'd volunteer, and he didn't.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" a voice startled us all. I knew the voice was Tillo's, even though she hardly ever talked. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her pinned-back hair and long skirt as she walked to us. Tillo was a _mouse._ I was delighted when Keisha dropped my hand and ran offstage with a huge smile, but Tillo wasn't any better off. She never spoke in class unless the teacher made her. None of us knew much about her, but we knew from her old-fashioned clothes and reserved attitude that something was odd in her family. She announced her name with a boldness I never expected of her, and she pulled my hand up into the air.

What happened when my family came to see me won't leave me. My father's hoarse screams mingled with my mother's siren cries. I'd never heard such noise. They stayed like that until the Peacekeepers dragged them away, while my brothers tried to hold them upright. Patch hardly managed to toss a family picture over his shoulder. That was the moment I started to realize what the Games meant.

* * *

Tillo Peters POV

My skirt drifted up my calf as I sat, and I didn't pull it down. At home that would mean a lecture from my father about feminine modesty. I wasn't at home. I was sitting on a bench waiting for the Reaping to start. I always left early, claiming that I wanted to make sure I could make myself presentable. Really I just wanted to be away from them.

Ladies never get dirty. I liked my skirt grass-stained and my hands muddy. Ladies never speak out of turn. Every time the teacher asked a question I burned to show everyone what I knew. Ladies marry men twelve years older than they are and stay at home like good little wives. I'm no lady. I'm Tillo, and I decide what I will do.

For all that I disagreed with my family's archaic practices, I knew they loved me. They really believed I'd be happy as a housewife. They weren't marrying me off to any old man, either- our families went way back. He _did_ happen to be rich, but people make sacrifices when they can't feed their children.

As I watched Keisha facing death on the stage, it felt good to know she would be safe. I felt like a brave hero when I volunteered, like I was the valiant knight from one of my father's old books. In his books, the knight was always a man, but I never did follow his footsteps. I'd been planning to volunteer for a few weeks, ever since heard that my wedding date was set for four months away. If I won, my family wouldn't need to marry off their daughters for money. If I lost, at least I finally got to be who I was.

James looked at me like he'd never seen me before. We were never close. We might have been friends if every word I said to him wasn't discouraged. Even though I didn't feel the same as my family, it was hard to defy them all the time. I found myself smiling at him. I felt so free and independent, and it was obvious he had no idea what was hiding underneath my dowdy exterior. I raised both fists in the air and beamed at the crowd.

My father looked like he was going to slap me. His face was actually vibrating with rage. My mother was torn between trying to talk him down and fear that talking would make it worse.

"Tillo, why would you do this?" Mother asked. My father was still too angry to speak.

"I won't be his wife," I said. At that point, I had nothing else to lose. I could finally be defiant. "If I win, you won't need me to get married. I can provide for us all."

" _I_ am the man. _I_ provide," my father spat. "If you do come back, I'll take what you provide for my family. If you don't, you're not a Peters. Puridee will take your place as Alonzo's bride." My little sister looked up at that with childish eyes. Mother gasped and held her close.

I couldn't let that happen to Puridee. She wasn't strong like I was. She'd do what her parents said out of love and submission. She deserved so much more. I squeezed in with her and Mother and kissed her cheek.

"Don't worry. I won't let that happen," I said. Her innocent face was filled with more terror and loss than I could bear. I turned to my father and glared back at him.

"I don't want to be a Peters. Now get out," I said. His anger crumpled into anguish, and I was astonished to see him crying. Under all that tradition, he really did love me. I wished he could see the freedom I loved. I didn't call him back as he walked out of the door. I sat with Mother and Puridee and let them say their goodbyes. No matter what, I would never be back.

* * *

 **That was a long one! Tillo had such a short description that I took it as a license to flesh her out. We certainly have a lot of volunteers this year.**

 **I don't know what the state of religion is in Panem. It wasn't present in the books, and most dictatorships, like the USSR, Mao's China, and North Korea forbid it. All through history, there's always been a little religion, so I decided it didn't die out but it's pretty rare. That seems a little off-topic, but I wanted to explain why James' parents were praying when he and his brother left. As for me, I'm a Christian, so Cornflower is too, but it's not important for the story.**


	10. District Nine Reaping

Mink Abbey POV

Nothing exciting ever happened in Nine. All right, last year our escort mysteriously died, but other than that, it's dullsville. Even my job at the textile factory only took six hours a day, since I had school. It got to where I almost looked forward to the Games. If I was a Victor, I'd never have to work again. I could explore the Capitol and burn the place up. I even practiced a bit with a makeshift "spear" I made from a stick.

I found Hols and Koan before the Anthem started. They were pressed together side-by-side and holding hands. They weren't _together_ or anything- not that I judge. They were just that scared. I should have been too, but I knew what was going to happen to me. I stood by awkwardly until the speech started at Hols had to go with the other seventeen-year-olds. Koan stared at his back like it was a magic charm.

Chimera was the most lively thing to happen to Nine in ages. It was his third year, so he was still trying to show everyone he was hip and exciting. This year his suit was covered in strobe lights. I thought it looked awesome, but one poor girl fell over and started shaking. She had to stay in the center in case she got Reaped, but two medics were allowed to stand by her. Chimera paused and looked offstage, then continued.

"All right, Nine, let's _get some Tributes!"_ he shouted. He slammed a fist into the girls' bowl.

"First up is Demetria Rhye!" Instead of the cheers Chimera seemed to expect, the crowd was silent as a girl with tan skin and black hair slipped onstage. Her face seemed frozen in shock until tears started streaming out. It was like looking at a walking corpse. When I looked back at Chimera, I couldn't even blame him for his enthusiasm. He just didn't have any idea. He scooped out the other slip.

"Joining Demetria today will be Rayon Mather!" he called. A short, slender boy with light brown skin settled next to Demetria. He looked like he was trying to be stoic but had to settle for calm.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Chimera asked. It was my moment.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" I shouted. Demetria started at the voice and looked up. Then she cried harder. Koan jumped away from me like I'd burn him. I strode up to the stage like I owned it. Rayon calmly hopped off the edge of the stage and merged into the crowd. Chimera looked at me like I was a Capitol celebrity. I _was_ his first volunteer.

"This _is_ a suprise! What is your name, young man?" he asked, like he wasn't about five years older than I was.

"Mink Abbey," I said. I pumped my fist in the air as Chimera announced us. This was going to be the greatest thrill of all.

* * *

Demetria Rhye POV

The only good thing about the Reaping this year was that Mayzie didn't have to go. She was safe for another six years. I tried to tell myself I should be happy, but it would never work. I buried my face deeper in my mother's arms and shivered.

"I can come with you," Mom said. If she could, she'd go with me all the way to the Games, but of course, she can't. I forced myself to pull away and put on my shoes.

"It's all right. I can do it," I said. I'd done it once before and I hoped I'd do it again four more times. I saw Mayzie in the window waving at me after I left, and I waved back.

There were so many people at the Reaping center. There were maybe 500 of us, and 499 would go home safe in a few minutes. That made the whole thing seem a little less terrible. There weren't too many thirteen-year-olds, and we all squished in together. We weren't a very neat line, but the Peacekeepers either didn't notice or didn't care. I grabbed the hand of the girl next to me and we all looked at Chimera. His flashy costume made my stomach hurt. The other girl and I squeezed hands at the same moment when he unfolded the slip.

"First up is Demetria Rhye!"

I dropped the other girl's hand and froze. It couldn't be me. Thirteen-year-olds hardly ever went into the Games. I didn't take tesserae. What was going on?

My legs took over for my brain, and I found myseld floating to the stage. My mind snapped back into action and I knew I was going to die. Tears covered my face and I hardly noticed when the boy joined me. I just wanted to go home.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" The voice slashed into me and hope shot through me. I looked up and nearly screamed in relief. Then I realized. It was a boy's voice. The moment of life-giving hope washed away in an instant, and I cried with even more despair. There was no way out.

"They can't do this," my father said. He pounded the wall with his fists and slouched over.

"But they will," my mother said quietly. She bent over me as I sat crying on the bench. Mayzie looked on in confusion.

"Are you all right?" she asked. She looked up at me with simple concern. I tried to answer, but nothing came out.

"Don't let them take me, Mom," I said. She looked at me with raw helplessness I could never understand. When the Peacekeepers came, I grabbed her hand. Dad looked at them with dangerous eyes, and all the joy went out of Mom when she brushed my hand aside and stepped in front of him.

"Don't make her watch that," she said to him. He took her in his arms and started sobbing. Mayzie looked at both of them and started crying too.

"Mom! _Mom!_ Come back!" I screamed after them. Nothing I said had any effect. They left me alone to die.

* * *

 **Mink was originally submitted as a Four Career Tribute, so I had to adjust him a little. He knows how to swim from a lake in Nine, and he taught himself with a spear. There are a lot of trained Tributes this year, but you all know from my past stories that that doesn't necessarily mean they'll win. This year it's all up to you anyway.**


	11. District Ten Reaping

Calvary Warsaw POV

My teeth hurt as I stood in the Reaping center. They always hurt. Three had fallen out since Dustin and I started stealing livestock in order to survive. I wiggled a loose tooth with my tongue while I waited through the Anthem.

Dustin and I lived in a shack at the edge of town. It wasn't exactly legal. The ruins probably belonged to some farmer who forgot they were there. It was dirty and barren, but it was home for us. We used to live in a real house with a real family, but the Peacekeepers took care of that. Mom and Dad were out after curfew one night, checking on the fence. That was all it took to make two kids orphans. We were starving when we finally broke down and snatched a chicken from the next farm over. We never took much. Just enough to survive. All I had in the world was my brother, and he was the only good thing I could ever expect.

Fluvius couldn't have known how much terror he inspired in us all. Outside the Games, he was probably a nice guy, but all we saw was the hand of death. I was glad Dustin was too old to be with me, but I wished he was next to me all the same. I tried to keep my face blank as Fluvius read the slip.

"Our female Tribute is Calvary Warsaw!" Fluvius announced. Pure terror filled me, but I didn't want anyone to see it. My emotions are for me alone, and even now I had to remember the sponsors. I shut my face down and walked onstage like it was nothing. I only wished I could shut down the fear inside me. I tried to think of Dustin.

I didn't expect Felix to join me onstage. Clearly Ten wasn't going to be a partnership this year. Felix was stronger than he knew, but he was just so clownish. He was emotional and bubbly- all the things I didn't want in an ally. At least I wouldn't have to worry about him.

"You can do this," Dustin said. I knew he meant it, but I didn't know if it was true. We used sickles and whips on the animals we butchered, but butchering people was different. I thought I could do it, but I wouldn't know until it happened.

"I love you," I told him. Dustin was the only one who got to know my feelings. Around him, I could be relaxed and open. I couldn't trust anyone else. I held out my arms for a hug and shared the pain and fear with him. From now on I'd have to be stronger than ever before.

* * *

Felix Veau POV

I wanted the Reaping to be done with. There was so much to do. Of course I had chores, but after that, I had things to draw and friends to be with. Fluvius did the girls first this year. A terribly skinny girl with brown hair came onstage. I'd seen Calvary around, but this was the first time I'd heard her name. I hoped she wasn't as thin as she looked. She looked starved. Fluvius dipped into the final bowl. I felt a vague discomfort, but the chances were so low I wasn't really scared.

"Felix Veau!" Fluvius cried. I guess the odds weren't in my favor. I tried to smile as I faced the crowd. My grandfather used to be a Peacekeeper, and he tried to teach me some things. He said if I ever went to the Games I'd be toast, so I might as well prepare. I wasn't a fighter, but I went along with it.

I had a lot of friends in Ten. My father ran a butcher shop, so we knew almost everyone in the District, and I like seeing all the people. At the moment, however, I only wanted to see my family. Mom, Dad, Marsellus and Grandpa all squeezed into the Justice Hall and gathered around me. I wasn't surprised to see Mom crying, but I'd never seen my father cry before. He was such a strong, imposing man. He looked like he'd lost everything.

"Oh, son... I wanted to give you everything. My shop, my legacy... I'm sorry," he said. Mom was still wailing to wake the dead. Her lack of words told me the state of her hopes.

"I haven't cried since I joined the force," Grandpa said. "But I've never wanted to more." His normally military bearing was broken and slouched.

"Don't listen to them," Marsellus said. "You can do it." I felt a stab of resentment that he hadn't said a word during the Reaping. He was awful confident when it was my life on the line.

 _This might be your last time seeing him. Make the most of it,_ I thought.

"Don't worry about me, and don't burn down the shop while I'm gone. Even though I'll be rich when I get back, I'll still want to run it," I said. Marsellus smiled, something he didn't do every day. Mom and Dad didn't stop crying, and my words seemed empty even to me.

* * *

 **Sorry Felix's is so short. I had a hard time getting him at first, but I'm sure he'll develop.**

 **As for Mink working in a textile factory, I always mix up eight and nine. He works in whatever Nine does.**


	12. District Eleven Reaping

Willow Trill POV

"This is so stupid. Whose dumb idea was this?" I asked as I was about to leave the house. What kind of dummy would say make the Hunger Games? People like that were running Panem. Goodness.

"Willow!" my mother said sharply. "You can't say things like that." Barley, who was rolling around a ball, looked up at her tone. Mom glanced out the door and turned back to me. She smoothed my shirt and checked my pigtails.

"It's just the way things are. I know it's hard. Please, try not to talk to your friends about it," she said. Her dark skin was ashy, and she clung to my father as I opened the door.

"Sometimes it's better not to talk," he said. "We love you." I knew he was right, but it was so unfair. The anger I expressed was only covering up the terror inside me. I was just a kid. I shouldn't have to worry about dying. It was like living with one foot on a mine.

I found Daina and Zora and we held hands, clumping together against the world. Despite the fear, I still found myself in awe when we saw Snapdragon. In Eleven, I hardly ever got to see someone with pale ivory skin and tilted eyes. We had a few white people, but I always did a double-take when I noticed them. She would have looked prettier if she didn't carry death with her.

"Good morning, Eleven! I'm sure you're all very excited," she said. People from the Capitol fell out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down. I wished she'd just get it over with and let us stop hoping.

"Let's start with the ladies," she said. Daina whimpered when she fished out a paper. I was already crying when she unfolded it. My name was in there six times thanks to the tesserae I had to take. Would one of those kill me?

"Willow Trill!" she shouted. I shrieked and grabbed onto Zora. She screamed back and grabbed onto me. Daina started to sob and pointed at the Peacekeepers coming over to us. Two of them took us by the waist and started tugging us apart. I dug my fingers into Zora's arm and screamed for her to help me. Daina stood by alternately staring and pounding on the Peacekeepers. The Peacekeepers yanked me free of Zora, leaving ten thin scratches on her arm. The one holding me dragged me to the stage and held me in place while I strained against his arms. There weren't any solid thoughts in my head, just a pounding, screaming terror that tore through everything. There was nothing but fear.

"And now-" Snapdragon tried. My screams drowned her out, and she held her microphone closer to her mouth. " _And now the BOYS!"_ she shouted over me. She grabbed a slip off the top of the bowl. She yelled a name I didn't hear. A pale-skinned boy joined me. It would have been cool to see him if we weren't both dead. The boy yelled something at the crowd, then looked nervously at me. Snapdragon said something again, and then the Peacekeepers carried me to the Justice Hall.

"Willow, we got you a surprise!" Harvey said when he ran through the doorway. He held out a bracelet. When I didn't look at it, he dropped it into my hand and looked back at our mother. She looked strangely serene.

"It was for your birthday. It will have to be early," she said. I ran to her and buried myself in her arms. There was so much to say I didn't know what to do.

"What's wrong?" Harvey whispered to Barley.

"She's going to die," he whispered back. Mom stiffened and I pretended not to hear. She couldn't tell me it was going to be all right, or that I would be okay. I'd never heard such silence.

"Where's Dad?" I asked.

"He loves you," Mom said. I could understand. I didn't want to say goodbye either.

I couldn't scream for them not to leave. My voice was burned out. It felt awful, but I didn't care about seeing them again. I didn't care about being a Victor either. I just didn't want to die.

* * *

Caleb Lindsay POV

I wished I could be with Shaw, but he was four months older than me, and that was enough to put him with the fifteen-year-olds. I could hardly see him through the rows of kids behind me. I didn't know anyone else in the crowd. It was hard for me to make friends, and I never seemed to fit in. My pale skin didn't help, even though they never excluded me because of it. It just made me feel different. Shaw was the other different thing about me, in the best and worst way.

At first glance, Shaw looked like the rest of the boys at school. He had dark skin and short black hair. He was a little taller than I was and was fit from working in the fields. I was jealous of whatever girl caught him, so I was delighted when I noticed him peeking at me during lunch. It seemed too good to be true that someone that perfect would be interested in me, and the past seven months have been like a dream. I suppose we'll be together forever. I only wished he could be next to me now to keep me safe.

Snapdragon picked Willow Trill out of the bowl. Chaos erupted on the girls' side of the crowd, and the Peacekeepers carried a squalling girl to the stage. Seeing her just made the rest of us even more panicky. When Snapdragon yanked a slip from the boys' bowl, I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed to something that it wasn't me or Shaw.

It wasn't Shaw. It was me. I jerked back a step and searched him out in the crowd. The boys next to him were holding him as he strained toward me. I screamed his name as a Peacekeeper tugged me onto the stage. Willow and I made it impossible to hear Snapdragon as she announced us. It was perfect chaos.

Mom died of heatstroke a few years ago, so Dad was alone when he came to see me. He was a hard man, worn down by years of exhaustion and hopelessness. There was nothing either of us could say, and I held him awkwardly when he broke down, my tears joining his.

"Can I see Shaw?" I asked when he was leaving. I wasn't sure what he thought about us. We didn't try to hide, but I was only thirteen. It would be hard for him to believe I was really in love.

"He's waiting outside," Dad said. "I love you, son."

When Shaw ran inside, I jumped up and we smashed together in a clinging embrace.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't even hear her call for volunteers," Shaw said. His face was broken with guilt.

"I didn't hear her either," I said. I tried to hug all the fear away, but it hung around us. "What are we going to do?"

"You have to win. Then we can live in the Capitol together," he said.

"How am I going to win? I don't know anything," I said.

"Just keep running away. Don't let them catch you," Shaw said. He held both my hands.

"I wanted to be with you forever," I said. My eyes hurt from all the crying.

"We will be. Don't give up," he said. We sat on the bench for a few minutes and took comfort in each others' presence.

"Shaw?" I asked. He looked over.

"Did you bring a picture with you?" I asked.

"No," he said. He jumped up and looked at the clock. "I'll be right back." He darted out the door. His quarters were pretty near the Justice Hall, so he was back in a few minutes, holding a hand-sized picture of himself.

"Now you'll have something to raise your spirits," he said with a goofy smile.

"It's not as good as you, but it will do," I said. A Peacekeeper poked his head in and warned us that we only had a minute left. My heart started racing again. I didn't want to lose Shaw a second time. I leaned in closer to him. I had been so afraid of getting hurt again that I hadn't done a lot of things I'd wanted to do with Shaw. I had a lot of ground to make up. Shaw leaned in with me and we shared our first kiss. It was short and hesitant, like we both weren't sure how to do it. It left me feeling closer to him than ever and longing for a million more.

* * *

 **That certainly was dramatic. The Capitol must have eaten that up.**

 **Willow's charm bracelet has an apple, a seed, and a barn charm. She was too scared to note it.**

 **I simply love it when people say their Tribute's reaction to being reaped gives me room to make them full-out terrified. Willow and Caleb aren't any more emotional than the rest, but if I can I'll make any Tribute react like that, since it's just more realistic. Unless they're in shock, like Katniss and Peeta seemed to be in the movie, they'd probably get dragged onstage or at the very least cry.**


	13. District Twelve Reaping

Mary Sue Brooklyn POV

I despise everything about Twelve. There's the coal dust that always gets in my hair and smudges on my skin. The ignorant children coughing and scrapping in the streets for food. The dirtiness, the poorness, the ickiness... it was just disgusting. Luckily, I won't be here much longer.

 _I_ wasn't meant for this rathole. As soon as I graduate I'm going off to the Capitol. I'm going to be an escort, probably for One or maybe Three. I belong in beautiful dresses and jewels like our escort Demi. She was the only worthwhile thing in Twelve. She was a shining diamond amid the disgusting filth of my District. I couldn't wait to join her.

Demi looked as lovely as ever when she glided onto the stage. Her dress was made of layers and layers of nearly transparent colored tulle. The colors lay on each other like she was wearing an icy rainbow. It was the sort of dress I'll wear when I'm an escort. She dipped her slender hand into the bowl and held a slip aloft.

"Mary Sue Brooklyn!" she cried. _You_ bitch!

I stormed to the stage, looked that strumpet right in the eye and slapped her. She fell back and landed in a pile of fabric. Two Peacekeepers grabbed my arms and held me while Demi gathered herself and stood by the other bowl. She looked over at me every few seconds as she picked the other slip. I stuck my tongue out at her and smirked at the hand-shaped smudge in her blush.

"Jamie Coal!" she announced. An ugly little boy smeared with dirt joined me. I wouldn't touch his nasty hand with a ten-foot pole, so Demi hurriedly announced us and ran offstage.

I don't know why Mom and Dad seemed so nervous when they came to see me. Mom was crying and Dad kept telling me not to get in over my head, like that was possible. Ashley wasn't much help either.

"Hey sis, try not to die," she said. I flipped her off. She was my sister and all, but sometimes she could be a pain in the butt. I told them I'd be fine and sent them off. Screw the Capitol for doing this and screw Demi for helping them. I'll just have to be a Victor instead of an escort.

* * *

Jamie Coal POV

Why didn't they have snacks at the Reaping center? It was the least they could do. I nibbled the inside of my cheek and pretended it was food. I wished they had chairs, too. It was hard to stay standing for so long. Matt was beside me, and Coal was a line ahead of us. We were almost too tired and hungry to be scared

There was quite a fuss when Mary Sue was reaped. I'd never heard of a Tribute slapping as escort, but I guess there wasn't much they could do about it. It wasn't like they could kill her. Matt and I laughed nervously while Demi got herself up. Anything to break the tension was welcome. For a minute there was silence, and then my name rang through the air. Immediately the center was filled with my screams, and when a tall man walked toward me, my body took over and I ran the other way. He grabbed my shirt and dragged me onstage as I tried to grab onto Matt. Mary Sue looked at me like I was a toad and I started to cry harder.

Matt and Coal were the first to come visit me. They looked really excited for something so horrible.

"Don't worry, Jamie! You'll be all right," Matt said.

"The others will think you're so little you're not a threat, and then they'll all kill each other," Coal said. I started to feel a little better. I often won when we raced or wrestled. Maybe I could do this.

Dad never came to see me. I knew I wasn't important to him, but I thought maybe just this one time he'd care. Usually I felt like I could do almost anything, but the most important person in my life didn't even believe in me. Was I really worth anything?

* * *

 **Mary Sue isn't actually much of a Mary Sue. Much the opposite...**

 **Someone asked me if I took fanfic requests today. Naturally I was flattered and said I'd try. I was delighted when he asked me if I'd seen Godzilla, since I have seen all 28 multiple times and own a Godzilla action figure. Then he said he wanted a smut fic between the 12-year-old boy from the newest Godzilla and his mother... After checking to confirm that is way illegal, not that I'd do it anyway, he said "thanks for ruining my day." Truly I am a terrible person.**


	14. It Begins Anew

Estrella Vasquez POV

I don't have to mentor, since One has plenty of Victors. I _get_ to mentor. The only way to come close to the thrill of winning the Games is giving other girls a chance. I keep my eye on the Academy, so I knew to expect Emmy. Honestly, I didn't have the high hopes I often had. She was a fighter, but she didn't act like a warrior. She was far more polite than most of my mentees, though.

"It's really cool to have you for a mentor. Your Games were awesome," she said. She was right, and a little flattery can't hurt.

"Thanks, princess," I said. She frowned and folded her arms.

"Don't call me princess," she said forcefully. Maybe she was a warrior after all.

* * *

Pray Jager POV

 _They want me to work with_ that?

Avariella- "Ava", as she preferred- weighed less than I did. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem, but she was four inches taller than me and I was trim. No wonder she used a dagger.

"Do they... do they feed you at home?" I asked. It took a lot to get a reaction from me. I've torn a man apart and I'd do it again, but this was sickening.

"Of course," she said. Like most people I knew, she seemed scared I was going to jump her. She kept peeking at my claws.

 _It won't happen this year,_ I thought. _This girl can't take care of herself, much less anyone else. She's easy prey. It_ would _be a challenge, though. Maybe a break from the boredom. I'll do everything I can._

I rang for an Avox and ordered a plate of pasta with red sauce. When it came, I had her place it before Ava. She stared at it like it was the size of Panem.

"The first thing you're going to do is eat."

* * *

Acee Hal POV

Cordin was one of those Tributes who's going to haunt me. It's like the Reapings are rigged to send me the sweetest children in Three. Hailey and her stories, Gram with his bottle glasse... why don't I ever get a big jerk? When everyone voted for the Quell, they sent me a tragic boy and a little girl who didn't know computers. Four and Twelve got psychos.

"Did you have a strategy in mind?" I asked Cordin as he marveled at a bowl of hard candies.

"I guess I can use electricity," he said. Abigail was looking out the window and tracking our progress. I would help her too, of course, but she volunteered. She probably had more idea what she was doing.

"That's a good plan if you can make it work. If you're in an Arena without access to civilization, you'll have to rely on sponsors to send you components. I suggest you play up the cuteness factor," I said. That wouldn't be hard at all.

* * *

Jonah Breaker POV

"You ready to kill?" I asked Shogo. I'd seen his brother at the Reaping. That was tough. Even a saint would do what he had to to get back to him.

Shogo looked at the train walls and held his hands around his mouth. He leaned in and whispered.

"Kanu doesn't know. He thinks I'm here to be an actor," he said. I kept a straight face. Time for the role of a century.

"You must be Shogo Hara!" I said with a mouth-breaking grin. "We've been going nuts waiting for you. The Capitol demands your presence! We'll start filming your first hit immediately. It's called... _Last Man Standing,_ and you're going to be the star!"

* * *

Soleil Pere POV

I don't want Gordon to win. It's easy for people like him to hide, but I've been in the Games. I've looked the Careers in the eye and seen which ones wanted to win and which wanted to kill. I knew what he was.

Things didn't look good for Five. Skyler was a dreamer. Dreams don't go far in Panem. She was looking all around the train like it was one big party. Gordon was looking ahead at the wall in front of him. He wasn't scared or angry. He was something worse. I'm going to be alone again next year.

* * *

Toby Cash POV

 _Don't cry in front of the Tributes. Don't let them know._

Lyte was thirteen. He was a little boy and I was going to watch him die. Even if he was the only one, it would be too much. I wanted to scoop him up and throw him off the train. He could run away and live free in the woods. It was a wonderful, impossible dream.

Hadley was my only hope. She volunteered. Maybe she had a plan. She looked as capable as I was in my Games. Maybe this year I would finally get a partner.

 _Please come back. I need you. Don't leave me alone. Please don't die._

* * *

Sequoia Wilson POV

I might be looking at a Victor. Reiner was strong and capable. He knew how to fight. The only problem was how obviously gentle he was. He looked like a soldier, but he was a father inside.

"Do you know what you have to do?" I asked him.

"I know," he said. His expression didn't change.

"No, do you really know?" I asked again. Images of the children my hatchet had killed flashed in front of me. Reiner's gaze softened and I saw the pain that told me he truly knew. Maybe he had a chance.

Ashlyn seemed to realize her fate as well. There was a placidity about her that suggested she would do what she could, but she knew she would most likely die. I couldn't tell her otherwise. Nothing's hopeless in the Games, but she wasn't counting on it.

* * *

Drone POV

I couldn't believe it. James actually wanted to be in the Games. My Games were so early we still couldn't imagine them. I guess time dulls everything. I'd never have guessed it from looking at him. He was polite to the Avoxes and seemed friendly as a puppy. His excitement came from idealism, not cruelty. He'd find out soon enough.

Tillo took one step on the train and asked for a pair of pants. When she came back, she sat slumped forward and relaxed, like she was used to sitting primly straight. She would do big things in the Games, whether or not she won.

"What kind of weapon should I use?" James asked.

"You're small, so maybe something lightweight and simple, like a knife. Start training when we get to the Capitol," I said.

"Do you think I could use a sword?" Tillo asked. "I know I don't have any training, so I couldn't get too good, but maybe a short sword that's light enough for me to use," she said.

"It would be best for neither of you to pck fights, but you do need to be able to defend yourself. It's not unreasonable for you to use a sword, but don't put your trust in it," I said. Maybe one of these kids would kill enough others to live. Only time would tell.

* * *

Mink POV

Demetria was such a baby. She was trying to stop crying as she sat on the other side of the carriage. Two Avoxes were fussing over her. I hoped she enjoyed her time while she could, because I was going to win this thing. I didn't really want to kill her, since there was no sport in that, but she'd probably die in the Bloodbath. It wasn't right, but the Careers would hopefully at least kill her quick.

Nine didn't have any Victors... yet. Next year will be different, as long as I don't screw things up. It wouldn't do to get overconfident. I didn't have to kill _everyone,_ just anyone who tried to kill me.

* * *

Cornflower Fields POV

Calvary was missing three teeth. She kept pressing her hand to her jaw like it hurt.

"Do you eat a lot of fruit?" I asked her.

"We can't afford it," she said.

"You have scurvy," I said. "You need to eat some citrus fruit." I looked at Fluvius and he sent for some lemonade.

Other than that, Calvary was already more capable than I was in my Games. I wouldn't have to do much mentoring this year. That would be nice. Lately I've had this urge to scream and pound on the walls. That wouldn't do, so I didn't do it, but it was hard to stay in public where I couldn't do it if I really had to.

"Is there a kitchen on the train?" Felix asked. _Kitchen, kitchen, kitchen._

 _"_ It's two cars down," Fluvius said. "It's not really for Tributes, though. We have people to cook for you."

"Can I check?" Felix pressed. Fluvius shrugged, so Felix left. The room felt scarier without him. He was so much less intense than Calvary. I hoped they both did well.

* * *

Peppermint Wilson POV

I watched the Reaping like everyone else, so I saw Willow get chosen. I couldn't blame her for the way she reacted. She didn't have a chance.

"You're going to have to fight, you know," I said. She hadn't gotten over her shock yet, so she was silent.

"With _you,_ we need the longest range possible. The only problem is I'm not sure you're strong enough to throw a spear or draw a bow. This is going to be difficult. _Maybe throwing knives,_ I thought, but that wasn't an option. Not after Venus and Apollo. Any time I went to Two I made sure to dance on her grave.

"So, who's Shaw?" I asked Caleb. He didn't seem like a Victor either, but I'll do my best.

"He's my boyfriend," he said.

"Aw, that's cute. Hope you see him again," I said. He was a little young for that, but he probably wouldn't get another chance. It was just as well.

* * *

Demi POV

I refused to sit with that awful tramp. Jamie can sit with me, but Mary Sue goes in the back. Jamie may not have had the best manners, but he was a sweet enough boy.

"I'm pretty fast. I should run into the Cornucopia and get some supplies. I'm not big enough to fight the Careers, but I can get some food and stuff," he said between mouthfuls of dinner rolls.

"Try to grab a blanket. It gets cold in there," I said. He was so _thin._ Didn't they know how to eat in Twelve?

"Do you think I'll get any sponsors?" he asked.

"I'll be sure to get some for you," I said. It wouldn't be hard for a cute little boy to get sponsors. Mary Sue sure wasn't getting anything, even if people begged. Between the two of us, we'd get Jamie home.

* * *

 **Thejokkeriscoming asked if I wanted to do a joint STOY with her, and that sounds like a blast, so I'll be putting up some info soon. I'd be nervous about doing two at once, but most people write slower than I do so I'll have time. It will be called "Caught in the Rain".**


	15. Skin Deep

Hollan Makhpiya POV

 _Don't think I didn't notice you messing up your hair when you thought I wasn't looking. I_ just _slicked that back! Fine, have it your way. Why can't you be more like Emma?_ She _looks like a pretty pink princess._

* * *

Frippery Tubman POV

My hand flew to my heart when I got Ava undressed. I'd never seen anything like it.

"Oh God, honey, what happened?" I gasped.

"I need to lose a few pounds. Do you have anything that can help?" Ava asked.

"NO!"

* * *

Cilantro Pestle POV

Abigail held out her arms and looked at her trembling feet.

"How do you walk in these?" she asked. I felt a moment of pain for girls who had to live without high heels. I was a man and I'd hate to live without them. I grabbed a larger pair off the wall and slipped them on.

"Allow me," I said. _Fabulous!_

* * *

Rouge Twain POV

 _This_ is a new one. My darling Tribute Shogo has a son who doesn't know he's in the Games. Luckily, I know _all_ about show business.

"For your first scene, we'll be filming a stunning parade. I'll be your stylist. Let's get you ready for the big screen!"

* * *

Blush Paletti POV

"I came to the Capitol once when I was little," Skyler said. "Do you still have fruity ice?"

"Fruity ice? Oh, do you mean snow cones? Honey, that's just the beginning," I said. Skyler smiled like a little kid. If she's not busy training all the time, I'll have to show her around.

* * *

Puff Auri POV

"Were you Toby's stylist?" Hadley asked me. I was brushing on powder to remove those pesky freckles.

"He was one of my very first Tributes," I said. "Such a nice boy."

"How did he win?" she asked.

"He kept to himself and kept swimming," I said. Hadley didn't seem impressed.

* * *

Cocoa Mizrahi POV

Reiner was a fine, strong boy. He might actually win. I'm so tired of doing all I can to make two children pretty only to see them covered in blood. Either way, I would see at least one die. I wish I'd never taken this job.

* * *

Baste Marinade POV

"Would it be okay if I wore pants for the parade?" Tillo asked. I'd had a nice dress in mind, but I was open to new ideas.

"Most girls want fancy dresses," I noted as I fussed through the closet.

"That's so old. I think it would be neat if I wore a real sharp suit, like a boy," she said. A plan started to take shape. This _was_ the fabric District. I could make this work.

* * *

Mint Goblet POV

This is going to be a good year. Mink is _fine._ I hardly have to do any work on him- a bit of foundation, some fierce eyeliner... he already looks ready to kill. He was confident, too. Lots of my Tributes are nervous, and I do my best to cheer them up. Mink was raring to rip. I do hope he's as good as he thinks.

* * *

Filay Spade POV

I wasn't sure there was enough soap in the Capitol. Finally, we discovered that Calvary is not spotty brown. She's white. Her hair really was brown, though. She could use a little spicing up, so we added ice blue contacts and some daring red lipstick. She wasn't too pleased, but the real trouble came when she saw the outfit. I just didn't get it. I thought all girls wanted to look like sexy cowgirls.

* * *

Creme Brulee POV

"You're going to need Beard-away, muscle pads, instant tan, a high collar, eyeliner, nude lipstick, fake lashes, skin smoother, gold eyeshadow and bronzer," I said when I took a look at Caleb. He looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. He'll learn quick enough.

* * *

Cuisine Martinique

I don't think Mary Sue is a very nice girl. I had a cute outfit lined up for Twelve. It was different than the miner outfits they were always stuck in. Oh well, I guess that one won't work. I dug around in storage and found last year's outfit. Canary had been a rather large girl by Twelve standards. Unfortunately we won't have time to alter the outfit. Poor Mary Sue.

* * *

 **One wonders if the whole reason Mr. and Mrs. Brulee had a kid was to name her Creme.**


	16. Parade

**I went right into the descriptions, since the intro is always the same anyway.**

* * *

Polyphemus Ignotus POV

"Here! They! Are! It's District One, Panem's bastion of taste and luxury. Emelia stuns in a dazzling pink dress dripping in sparkles like the jewel she is. She's loving it, folks. Every time she points at the crowd I feel like the roof's going to burst. Hunter's pink suit is perfectly appropriate and tasteful, but he messes up his hair more every second and his cheeks are as pink as his outfit. _Someone_ is not thinking pink."

"Ava and Mase are dressed as sturdy golden Peacekeepers. Mase is standing tall and proud, gazing straight ahead like a good soldier. Ava isn't so sure. She looks like a warrior, but she doesn't seem to see it. She keeps tugging at her waist. I don't see why- the suit is perfectly tailored."

"District Three is always full of suprises. There isn't as much electricity from them this year. Abigail has a glitzy gold dress that shows exactly how she intends to place in the Games. She's enjoying them, waving with one hand while the other grips the chariot. Cordin has on the same old wire-covered suit Three's stylists drag out when they can't think of something new. _Yawn!"_

"What has the tide brought in this year? Kisarna's outfit seems to be based off of that stunning pendant she's wearing. It contrasts her pale skin wonderfully in her dark blue bikini. Her damp hair explains the water dripping from Four's chariot. Shogo is giving us the show of the year! He's striking one pose after another, turning to face all the cameras. Kisarna keeps dodging him, and she's looking at him like he's a nut. I can't agree with her. I'm enjoying the show."

"The pair from five are wearing some odd round getup with notches missing. Are they... gears? It's not much compared to last year's fireworks, even if there _was_ a little mishap. They match so perfectly, I don't know why Skyler is squished into a corner of the chariot peeking at her partner. Gordon is glaring at the chariot floor. He almost looks sad. With all this color and excitement, it doesn't make sense."

"Oh my goodness! OH MY GOODNESS! This is just stunning! I can't make this up. Hadley's stiff hoopskirt seems normal enough until you look closely. It's _moving,_ folks! There's a track on the hem with an adorable little train circling her. I can't believe it! You designers better take notes. This is going to be the next big thing. She's standing still with her hands on her hips, looking down at Lyte. He's dressed as a conductor with the cutest little hat, and he's playing with the train on her dress. This is just too cute."

"Miss Forrest- isn't that just a perfect name?- looks like the trees she's named after in an ombre green and gray gown. Reiner's gold makeup and popout branch pants make him look like both lumberjack and tree. He's swinging around two wooden swords wildly. It's a good thing they're wooden, since Ashlyn is having a hard time staying out of his way."

"Eight is the easiest District to dress, so they either end up mediocre or amazing. Th stylists took a different track this year with Jamie. His pale face paint, dreadlocked hair and patchwork suit suggests an old-fashioned ragdoll, but I've never seen a rag doll jump up and raise his fist. Tillo's certainly making a statement. Her impeccably sharp pinstriped suit and shiny top hat sends the image of a shrewd, ruthless mobster. Her head is high and her smile is confident and bold."

"Demetria is wearing just what _WHEAT_ expect from Nine, ha ha! It looks like her dress is actually made of grain. She's a little overwhelmed and is sticking close to Mink. Wait, what is he _wearing?_ I didn't realize there were pitchfork-holding mermaids in Nine. There's a very confused stylist backstage. For his part, Mink is owning the outfit. He's stabbing the air like he's going to be stabbing his opponents soon."

"After finally breaking free two years ago, Ten returned to the cows of old last year. Will this year prove different? Yes, it will. Calvary's denim shorts pretend to cover her rump and her knotted blouse shows her pink farmer's tan. Uh, oh. She's not feeling the magic. Our little cowgirl is scowling under her perfect twin braids. Her arms are folded and she refuses to engage the audience. Felix is more friendly, waving merrily at the crowd. Ten couldn't quite stand to try something new. Felix's jeans split for his cow tail and he has a ring in his nose under his straw hat. Cowboy or cow? He's both."

"Oh... my. The Hunger Games Parade can be a wonderful display of creativity and diversity. Or it can be this. This is, without question, the worst outfit I have ever seen. Willow is covered from head to toe in thick, gloppy mud. She appears to have nothing on underneath it, judging by how she's crouched in the chariot with her hands over her chest and rump. Ladies and gentlemen, have mercy and look away. Ever the gent, Caleb is trying to block the crowd's view of her, even as he wears a loincloth made of fresh green grass. That's true class."

"What do you know, Jamie and Mary Sue are miners. Couldn't the stylists get a better fit for Mary Sue? She's drowning in that thing. At least Jamie's fits. Mary Sue is waving and clamoring for the crowd's adoration, while Jamie is more bashful. Why couldn't this parade have ended with Eight?"

"This year, I can only say that this was indeed a show. Some of these outfits will be remembered forever, whether or not we want to. Choose your favorites wisely, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

* * *

 **It's so much more fun when the parade's a half-baked train wreck, isn't it? Now you know what you get when you request to see your Tribute in "something stupid". No hints on which one it was.**

 **Mink was originally submitted as the Four male, so I left him in his original outfit for a laugh.**


	17. Training and Alliances

Hunter POV

 _Shogo had a piece of paper in his hands. Since it wasn't quite time to get into my chariot yet, I went over to take a peek._

 _"Dude, you're a really bad artist," I said. Shogo didn't reply. "Is it from a little brother?"_

 _"It's from my son," he said. His grip tightened._

Good one, jackass, _I thought. Now I just felt like a bully._

 _"Ohh... I'm not really sure what to say. I don't have a son. I guess sorry doesn't mean much," I said._

 _"I'm glad you're honest. That isn't something you see much in the Games," he said._

 _"Hunter!" Emma called from the chariot. I waved and turned back to Shogo._

 _"The others say you're not trained enough. They're also afraid you're too attached," I said reluctantly. Shogo didn't seem insulted, just a little nervous._

 _"I don't like them anyway," I said to make him feel better. Shogo laughed._

 _"Then why are you with them?" he said. I felt silly telling him, but I'd been honest so far._

 _"I don't think I could live on my own," I said. We were both quiet for a minute as I tried to get up the nerve to say what I wanted._

 _"You wanna be my ally instead?" I blurted before I could chicken out._

 _"Definitely," Shogo said. I shouldn't have been so nervous he'd say no. I was a capable Career. All the same, I was delighted._

 _"Don't tell the others," I said, even though it was obvious. I jumped up next to Emma and tried not to look suspicious._

* * *

Felix POV

Capitolites sure are friendly. I hardly got my sweaty old shirt off before they swarmed around me, flashing cameras and asking me to pose with them. It wasn't their fault I was here, and they seemed so nice that I couldn't deny them. A man with orange eyes and gems in his teeth tried to get me to interview with him. I would have, but I noticed that in all the fuss I'd completely lost track of Cornflower. She didn't seem to like the Capitol, and more for her protection than mine I'd tried to stick close to her. Through the glass doors of the Games building I saw her in a corner walking in circles and talking to herself.

As I ran ahead to join her, I noticed one of the other Tributes in a pickle. A middle-aged Capitol woman had him by the cheek and was telling him how cute he was. Poor Lyte was too little and too polite to leave, so he was stuck like a lassooed calf.

"Excuse me, we have to get ready for the parade. He'll be even cuter then," I said as I grabbed Lyte's hand. I whisked him away before she had time to protest. Once we were inside the building, I straightened his mussed suit.

"Thanks," he said.

"Don't worry. If you ever need anything, you can always find me."

* * *

Reiner POV

I didn't expect another boy to be sitting at my stylists' station when I walked in.

"Excuse me, but why am I dressed as a tree?" Lyte said.

"Because Seven is the lumber District," one of the stylists said.

"He's not from Seven. I am," I said. All three of the stylists looked up and saw me in the doorway. Their eyes widened like I was a half-price pair of shoes.

"Well, _well!_ This _is_ a present!" what I guessed was the head stylist, judging by her elaborate hairstyle, said. They left Lyte sitting half-dressed and descended upon me with measuring strings and fabric pieces.

"Can I go now?" Lyte piped up. The main stylist glared at him like he was intruder and made a shooing gesture.

"You get out of here, bug," she said. Lyte slid off the table and started to slink out.

"Hey, why you picking on him? He's just a kid," I said.

"We want to style a _Victor,_ not Bloodbath material," one of the assistants said. I couldn't believe they'd say something like that right in front of Lyte. That wasn't ignorance. It was just meanness.

"Knock it off," I said, and I turned to Lyte. "Want to be my ally?" _That'll show them._

Lyte stared at me like I'd asked him to marry me. When he found his voice, he blurted out "Yes!" and an assistant pointed him out the door. I may be about to die, but at least I'm not terrible.

* * *

Lyte POV

There were a lot of Tributes learning how to kill people in the training room.. The girl from Three was trying to hit targets with a bow, Skyler was using some sort of sword on a chain, Demi was trying to swing a sickle, the boy from Eight was swinging a sword around like a toy, and Tillo was looking through the daggers. There's no way I can kill anyone, even if I wasn't a healer. I'd just stick with the first aid station and get extra good at taking care of Reiner. Well, I would in a few minutes anyway. At the moment I was perched on Reiner's shoulders feeling like a giant. I hoped he meant it when he said he'd be my ally. It seemed to good to be true. Maybe he just wanted sponsors.

The big guy from Ten ran up to us with a smile. There weren't many smiles in the room, and there weren't many shirtless boys either. I liked the boy already.

"Hey? Need an ally?" he asked. "I'm Felix."

"I saw you asking everyone. Is that all you've been doing?" Reiner said.

"Yeah," Felix said.

"How many have you asked?" Reiner asked.

"Twenty-one, even the Careers," Felix said.

"What'd they say?" Reiner asked. Felix laughed.

"They threw a spear at me and laughed as I ran," he said.

"You can be our ally," I said suddenly. I didn't know where I found the courage. Reiner stepped aside with me and started to whisper.

"He's a freak. He'll slow us down," he said.

"I won't be your ally unless he can too," I insisted. _What are you thinking?_ I guess I just didn't want Felix to die. He seemed so nice. Reiner sighed and returned to Felix.

"All right, you're in. Who haven't you asked, anyway?" he said.

"Tillo Peters, Shogo Hara, and Hunter Duchen," Felix said.

"Might as well make it an even twenty-four."

* * *

Shogo POV

I knew the shirtless boy would be coming. He'd already visited everyone else. I had the training I needed, so I'd been scoping out the others.

"We got an alliance going," Felix said after he introduced himself. "There's a trained Tribute and a boy who's reeling in the sponsors." I wanted safety in numbers and Hunter must have been open, and we found ourselves following him to see this dream team.

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it. The little boy from Six was sitting on the tall guy's shoulders and squishing his cheeks together. Hunter was less amused.

"You said a trained Tribute and a sponsor magnet. This is a teddy bear and the three-year-old girl who owns him."

"I think it's kind of cute," I mumbled.

"Come on, we need a leader and one of you could be that person. Just think, you can order me about and I can constantly disappoint you," Felix said.

"That's really going to make me want to join," Hunter said.

"There's safety in numbers," I whispered to him. "Besides, they're definitely not the type to backstab."

"All right, fine," Hunter said with a glare. "But I need to be the leader and we need to be like a Career pack." Felix was about to say something when we were interrupted by the loudest slurp I'd even heard.

* * *

Tillo POV

They have a _milkshake_ machine in the training room! I was taking a little break and snooping on the alliances when I got a little carried away. As soon as Felix saw me he blushed and hid behind Shogo. I'd never turned heads back home. I liked it.

"I understand now why he never asked her for an alliance yet," Reiner said to Shogo.

"When did you get there?" Lyte asked.

"I've been here since the start," I said.

"Wow, you're really quiet," he said. I laughed.

"I was raised to be quiet," I said.

Hunter sidled up to me and seductively kissed my arm. My father was right. Boys from the other districts _are_ horndogs. Felix grabbed onto Shogo, who squawked.

"Hey, you're gonna draw blood!" he protested.

"Care to be part of our alliance?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, we could use a woman," Felix said, then blushed harder.

" _Excuse_ me? I'll join, but not because I'm a _girl,"_ I said. I knew they didn't really mean it that way, and it was flattering that they'd asked.

"I'll show you where I'm staying," Hunter said. Felix started to turn red, so Shogo broke in and said they should see my skills first.

"What'd you do that for?" I heard Felix ask as we went to the dagger station.

"You got a _sweeeet-heaaaaaart,"_ Shogo said. "Hunter's only after one thing. It's weird- I've never seen him look at girls before." I peeked back. Felix looked nauseated, but then glanced at Shogo's pocket and smiled a rather sad smile. I guess we all just wanted to keep things normal and keep our hopes up.

* * *

 **Not much usually gets done in the training chapter, since the Careers already have their training and the others can only learn so much. I had a bunch of material sent in by this alliance's submitters, so I focused on that for this chapter. Felix's POV should probably be in italics since it's in the past like Hunter's, but he's narrating it like a story so I left it. Normally I wouldn't give Lyte much time since he's mine, but everyone else in the alliance had a POV already and I had more information to give.**


	18. Scores and Alliances

**Hunter Duchen: 9**

 **Emma Wolfe: 8**

 **Avariella Hanson: 9**

 **Mase Nary: 9**

 **Abigail Fuse: 6**

 **Cordin Magnetism: 4**

 **Kisarna Talent: 8**

 **Shogo Hara: 10**

 **Skyler Dacher: 6**

 **Gordon Spokes: 3**

 **Hadley Kinneth: 5**

 **Lyte Anderson: 4**

 **Ashlyn Forrest: 8**

 **Reiner Ludwig: 9**

 **James Gray: 7**

 **Tillo Peters: 6**

 **Mink Abbey: 8**

 **Demetria Rhye: 4**

 **Felix Veau: 7**

 **Calvary Warsaw: 8**

 **Caleb Lindsay: 3**

 **Willow Trill: 5**

 **Jamie Coal: 3**

 **Mary Sue Brooklyn: 0**

Hunter: _Who's the weakling now?_

Emma: _I should have been more forceful._

Avariella: _You'll never be good enough._

Mase: _Eh. Not bad._

Abigail: _I have to do this._

Cordin: _Every second that passes is closer to my death._

Kisarna: _Was this really a good idea?_

Shogo: "Wow, I sure have good ratings!" _God help me._

Skyler: _It isn't the worst score so far._

Gordon: _Irrelevant._

Hadley: _I wasn't_ that _bad._

Lyte: _Aww yeah!_

Ashlyn: _How did I do that?_

Reiner: _It's easier with mannequins._

James: _I'm ready. Let's go!_

Tillo: _There's always hope._

Mink: _Never saw me coming._

Demetria: _They can't really mean it._

Felix: _I did pretty good!_

Calvary: _I didn't show them anything I haven't known for years._

Caleb: _That means they think I'm going to die._

Willow: _I couldn't hope for more._

Jamie: _I did_ way _better than that!_

Mary Sue: "What?!"

* * *

Demetria POV

It's weird knowing you're going to die. I dreaded every second that went by. For the first time I realized I only had so many left. I felt sick wondering if I was wasting my last days. I should be doing something worth doing or leaving something behind. I didn't want to be just another name in a record.

It didn't make any sense for me to go to the top of the building. I guess I wanted to go up and fly above all my troubles. I didn't find any peace up there, looking down on thousands of people who would never mourn me. I might have broken free and tried to fly one last time if Mariposa hadn't mentioned the safety measures. I turned around when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Oh, excuse me," the girl with blue-green eyes and freckles said. She turned to leave.

"It's okay," I said. I didn't mean to chase her off. She stood next to me looking over the railing. I wondered if she'd die much farther in than I would. For a while we just stood together.

"Do you think you can kill someone?" I asked. At a time like this, nothing was sacred.

"Maybe. People haven't been the best to me," she said.

"I know I can't. Do you think you'll win?" I asked.

"No," she said. It was as simple as it was true.

"Me neither," I said. We were quiet for a minute, and my eyes misted over. "I'm scared."

"Me too," she said. She seemed so much braver than I was. How could she be scared.

"Maybe... it wouldn't be so bad if I had someone with me. I've never had many friends," she said. She couldn't mean what I thought she meant. She was stronger than me, and older.

"If you want, I can stay with you a while. I don't know how long either of us have, but we can do our best," she said. She held out her hand, and I took it. No matter what, we won't be alone.

* * *

Hadley POV

The training room was closed since the interviews were over, but I could get around that. I didn't need weapons training anyway. It wouldn't do any good. What I _could_ do was roam the Games building, running through the halls and up and down the steps. As I was sprinting down a hall, I noticed a television set into a nook. Polyphemus was interviewing family for some pre-Games shows. I was about to move on when I saw two familiar faces.

 _Daddy!_ I hadn't seen my father in eight years. He was paler and more thin, but he was still my father. The man next to him must have been Olivan. I wouldn't have known if he wasn't next to Dad. He was so much taller and more mature than my big brother. He had a whole new life now, and I wasn't in it. I wanted to burst through the screen and jump into Daddy's lap, but I was probably never going to see either of them again. Dad would never know that I sprang up and filled out. Olivan would never know that I could climb to the top of a tree in five seconds. It was like we weren't related.

I couldn't stop the tears as I leaned against the wall. My throat closed and my breathing, already fast from my running, became strained. All the hardship in my life seemed to fall upon me. I knelt in the hall and wept.

I don't know how long I was there when a voice broke in.

"Um, are you okay?"

I looked up and saw Skyler bent over me in concern. She was usually smiling and talking with someone, so it surprised me that she looked so upset.

"It's nothing," I said, embarrassed to have someone see me cry. My nose was probably all red and my eyes were all puffy. Skyler helped me up and patted my arm.

"It's okay. We're all scared," she said. For some reason, that just made me cry more, and I ended up tearfully spilling my entire story to her. She listened really well for someone so chatty.

"I'm not _really_ your sister, but I'll do what I can. Neither of us is very strong by ourselves, and I know I'll go crazy on my own. Be my partner?" she asked. It didn't make sense for so many reasons. Only one person could win. I had to come back for my family. Skyler wasn't a fighter or a tactician. But I didn't need any of those things. I needed an ally.

* * *

 **That takes care of most of the alliances. I'll work on the "Career pack" before the Games start. I skipped the sessions because really, not much happens. I tried to establish in the training chapter any new or different skills Tributes had.**

 **If you've been here before, you already know, but for you new guys: I take scores submitters send, so they might not reflect Tributes perfectly. For any Tribute with a range of scores provided, I round lower to match canon closer. You're in control anyway, so it's not important.**

 **Gordon didn't have a score provided. He's more capable than a 3, but he creeped the Gamemakers out and they want him to die early. Mary Sue did nothing, trusting that she was so pretty the Gamemakers would want her to win and score her highly.**


	19. Wild Cards

**Please take note: this chapter contains mention of an eating disorder. Also, Pray has a potty mouth.**

* * *

Jaime POV

Those Gamemakers didn't know what they were talking about. I was fast as a cat. I just didn't show them everything I could do. If I'd _really_ pushed myself, I'd have blown them away.

Now that training was over, the Tributes could go wherever they pleased. Some of them preferred to stay in their rooms or roam the Games building. I spent most of my time in the common room, where Tributes could go if they wanted to mingle. My plan was to take a look at the others and see who was allying. At the moment, the only others in the room were Willow, who looked at me every now and then, and Mase, who sneered at both of us like we were bugs. Willow tossed her head at him and came over to me.

"I've been thinking about getting an alliance together. Want to be my first member?" she asked.

"I don't know. Allies might slow me down," I said. I glanced at Mase again, and resented that the Careers always banded together to make things harder for us. Maybe it was time to pay them back.

"We won't be together the whole Games," Willow said. "But it's okay if you don't want to."

"Well, maybe it would be all right. Let's see if we can get some of the older Tributes," I said. We'll show those pampered Capitol pets who's boss.

* * *

Abigail POV

Maybe I should have stayed home. Some of the Tributes looked like they could eat me for breakfast. Maybe I didn't have a chance at all.

 _Don't think like that,_ I told myself. I thought of what Acee told me. _Stay positive. Use what you have. Always optimize the situation._

I needed a strategy. I needed a game plan. I was decent with the bow and arrow I'd used in training, but I wouldn't be able to use it as anything but a sniping weapon or a distraction. It was clear I wasn't able to overpower my opponents, and I didn't know what the Arena was yet. The only thing I had any control over was my allies. I hadn't planned on allying at first, but the best way for me to increase my chances was to surround myself with people who augmented my weaknesses.

Earlier, I'd seen the skinny dark-skinned girl and the skinny Twelve boy eating together at lunch and discussing something earnestly. I was as prone to snooping as anyone, and I learned they were forming an alliance group. Honestly, they weren't much, but they might be able to help.

"Hey, I heard you were looking for allies," I said to the girl when I found her and Twelve boy outside her room. "Can I get in?"

"You got any skills?" the boy demanded.

"I'm a volunteer. You think I don't know what I'm doing? Besides, I'm from Three. Threes always know strategy," I said. It wasn't _always_ true, but we had our reputation.

"I think you'd be a great ally," Willow said. She glanced at Jamie, who didn't protest, and shook my hand. For better or for worse, I had allies. I hoped my "Three planning skills" were as good as I said.

* * *

Ava POV

I leaned over on the bathroom floor and tried to purge the shame away. When I went to the Careers to plan with them, Mase laughed in my face and brushed me away.

" _You? You're nothing but a useless bonebag. See you at the Bloodbath,"_ he'd said. I looked at the others for help, but they all turned away. None of them wanted me. They were everything I trained to be, and they threw me away. If they couldn't love me, who could?

 _It's because you're not good enough. Weak, stupid girl! You should have worked harder._ I felt the poison the Capitol tempted me with heaving in my stomach and jammed my fingers down my throat to exorcise it.

I didn't hear the door open. I didn't know someone was in the room until silver fingernails clamped onto my shoulder and threw me backwards.

" _What are you doing?"_ Pray demanded. I'd never seen such emotion on Silver Claw's face. She looked like I was her daughter, not her student.

"I got sick," I lied. I'd gotten great at it over the years.

"Don't give me that," she said. "There's one like you every year, the one that's at the Academy to punish themselves and not to fight. You think I don't know?"

"What do you care? I'm going to die anyway," I said. To my horror, I started to cry and my nose started to run.

"I know you'll probably die, but I'll still move heaven and hell to make sure you have the best chance. Never stop fighting. Isn't your life worth as much to you as it is to me?" she said.

"They don't want me," I said.

"Who?" she asked.

"The Careers. They wouldn't let me join them," I said.

"I wouldn't either. You look like you're made of glass. Right now, you have to get over it, get yourself up, and _fight._ I don't know if you have what it takes. Only you do. You sure as hell better start fighting for yourself. No one else is going to. Ava... I hope you do." She stalked out of the bathroom and slammed the door.

Did she really hope I'd make it? Even after I was a disgrace to the Two she tore a man apart to bring honor to? I didn't think anyone cared about me. I couldn't expect them to. Maybe I did have someone rooting for me. The only person in the world who cared about me was Silver Claws Jager. It didn't seem possible that she cared for anyone. She thought I could fight. Maybe I really could.

* * *

Cordin POV

I liked Willow and Jaime. I'd always felt a little younger than I was, and they seemed like the kind of people I would have been friends with back home. When they asked me to be part of their alliance, I leaped at the chance. With my score and my skills, I was Bloodbath fodder alone. Together, maybe we could fend off the others. Having Abigail along made it feel just a little more legitimate. We'll stick with each other to the end.

When it came time for dinner, we gathered around a table and ate together. It was hard to discuss strategy when we didn't even know what the Arena was, but we did what we could.

"Any one you guys plan to run into the Bloodbath?" I asked.

" _Nu-uh,"_ said Willow.

"Yeah! I can get us some weapons!" Jamie said.

"I think it's a risk I'll have to take. We need food," Abigail said. I saw someone approaching our table and turned to greet him or her. I never would have expected who it was.

The skeleton girl from Two was standing before us, her head low and her hands fluttering at her waist. She looked like she was about to cry.

"The Careers are over there," Abigail said.

"I know," the girl whispered. She bit her lip. "Can I... can I be in your alliance?"

" _What?!"_ Willow said. "You're a Career!"

"They don't want me," she said softly. Her foot traced a circle on the ground.

"We can't trust someone trained to kill," Abigail said.

"Please?" the girl said. "I can use a dagger. I can protect you." I wasn't sure what to think. If she was putting on an act, she was a master. She looked like we were her last hope. I looked around at the others. Jamie looked indifferent, and Willow was squirming to see someone so unhappy. Abigail took a long look at the girl, then nodded.

"Hooray! You're in," Willow said. She scooted over to make room for the girl, who sat next to her with a shy smile.

"I'm Willow, and this is Cordin, Abigail, and Jamie," she said.

"I'm Ava," the girl said.

"We're the wild cards. You're one of us now."

* * *

 **It seems Pray isn't as cold as she seems. She's still pretty dang cold, but not quite as bad as she looks.**


	20. The Career pack

Mase POV

"No. No, no, _no."_

Kisarna and Emma were bad enough. They were good partners for as long as I had to stick with them, but I was doing this on my own. They didn't get what killing meant. They wanted to win glory and honor. I didn't give a crap about Two. I wanted to kill. I wanted to kill in ways that would make them "look bad". They might decide I was a liability, and together they'd be hard to beat.

"I don't like it either, but we need more people. Three people does not a Career pack make. I know we have Hunter, too, but he doesn't seem very into it. Something's up with him," Kisarna said.

"There is no way some outer-District trash is joining my Career pack," I said. _Wait, why are you so mad? Just let them in and kill them at the Bloodbath. If they're not even Careers, the others won't even get mad at you._

"Fine, who did you have in mind?" I said as if I was making a huge concession.

"Our first choice would have been Reiner or Ludwig, but they seem to be part of a loser's alliance," Emma said. "Our next choice is Calvary."

" _Calvary?_ Aren't there any boys?" I said.

"Calvary is street-smart. I can tell she's had a hard life, and she knows how to survive. We're trained in killing, not living. She can help us find food. After that, we won't need her," Emma said.

"Didn't you see her in the training room? She was a crack shot with a whip, and she had no trouble using a sickle or a knife," Kisarna said. Whatever. It was no skin off my back who joined us. I'll kill them all anyway.

"Hey Calvary, you're in luck," Emma said when we found her eating from a fruit bowl. "You're in the Career pack." Calvary finished her bite of peach and barely seemed to notice us.

"Lucky me. I get to join a pack of backstabbing killers. I don't think so," she said. _What?_

"Hey redneck, you wanna piss off the people with every incentive to rip you apart?" I growled at her. She wiped her mouth and stood up.

"Bring it on. You would have anyway," she said. Emma held up her hands.

"That's why we want you. We all know alliances don't last forever. While they do, you're strong, fearless and bold. You're everything a Career is. Why shouldn't we work together?" Calvary seemed to think it over as she calculated our lethality.

"I'll let you know," she said. Impudent, stupid girl. When the time came, I'd tear her apart extra slow.

* * *

Calvary POV

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. If I joined, I would be next to the exact people I wanted to avoid. If I didn't, they'd think it was personal. Darned if you do, darned if you don't.

It was obvious the Careers weren't to be trusted. I didn't trust anyone easy, much less children bent on nothing but killing. Why'd they have to pick _me?_

 _It's because you didn't join anyone else._ The oddballs and the Wild Cards had both approached me. The first group was too good to last. I hoped they died easy. The Wild Cards might have worked, but I just couldn't bring myself to ally. Aside from Dustin, I'd never had anyone I could depend on. Maybe it was too late to learn.

 _Why did this have to happen? Dustin and I were doing fine. It was hard, but we made it. We had each other. Why did they have to take that away?_ They were monsters. Thirty years ago we tried to break free and they still hated us for it. We'll always want to be free. All we wanted was the freedom to care for ourselves and grow our own food. We were dogs to them. They threw us scraps every year after they took twenty-three of us. We streamed through the streets celebrating when our last Victor brought parcels and parades. We shouldn't have been rejoicing over cans of food and winter jackets. Those should be normal.

At the end of the day, all that mattered was survival. I had to do whatever would help me live. There wasn't much I knew better than survival. The Careers didn't know who they were dealing with. I'd sawed through a cow's vertebrae with a rusty hay knife. I'd wrung a chicken's neck while it screamed for mercy. I could kill, and I could live. My very life was ideal preparation for the Games. The question was: would I run from the enemy or keep them close enough to watch? It was the most important decision I would ever make. It was quite literally life or death.

* * *

Emma POV

That night, Calvary knocked on my door.

"I'm in. Don't expect me to stay long," she said.

"Good idea. When you're part of my pack, I'll kill to protect you. As soon as you're not with us, I'll kill you as easily," I said. To my surprise, Calvary brushed past me and took a look around my room.

"Sure is nice here, isn't it? I suppose it's not much different from home," she said. She seemed to disapprove.

"What's it like in Ten?" I asked. In One, we mostly focus on the Games and our luxuries. I didn't even know where Ten was on a map.

"What does a rich princess like you care? You wouldn't last a day in Ten. You know how to kill a man ten different ways, but you couldn't tell lupine from clover," she sneered.

"Is that why you're so thin?" I asked.

"In Ten, we _work_ for our food. We don't eat anything we don't cut the life out of or rip from the ground," she said.

"You're stronger than we admit," I said. The Academy never told us the people we killed were actually people. I shouldn't get close to anyone, but Calvary's life was utterly alien and fascinating.

"Strong enough to live," she said. I resented the feeling that she thought everything was handed to me on a platter. I _was_ rich, but I didn't choose that any more than she chose being poor. I couldn't be blamed for my birth.

"You can't expect me to know those things," I said. "All they teach me is "fight" and "kill". How was I supposed to know what your like is like?"

"Maybe if you did, Panem would be a better place," she said.

"Maybe it would," I said. I felt a respect for her I'd never known before. If I'd come from a different District, maybe we could be friends. Maybe some packs went farther than the Games. Already I trusted her more than Mase or Kisarna. I wondered if she would ever trust me.

* * *

Kisnarna POV

Always have your enemy underestimate you. I was glad to let Emma be our leader and Mase the year's blood knight. Under the radar was the place for me.

Calvary was a solid addition to our team. She would be invaluable with the survival skills we were weak in. The rest of the Tributes were taken or too weak. We wouldn't be the strongest Career pack, but we'd make do.

I was sitting with the Careers at dinner, eating sushi while Mase teased me about eating "fish food", when that strange girl from Twelve marched up to our table.

"I'm joining your alliance," she announced. I returned to my sushi and left the matter to the others. I truly didn't care either way, and it was best to have them think I was meek and unenthusiastic.

" _What?_ Why on Earth would we want you?" Emma said, always the diplomat.

"Hold on," Mase interjected. Emma looked at him with disgust and shock. Mary Sue preened. I munched on tuna and rice.

"We need a girl like you. Can you run?" he asked. He help up a hand when Emma tried to interrupt, and she almost turned red.

"Of _course,"_ Mary Sue said.

"Great. Here's the plan: we'll get the weapons. As soon as the gong rings, run straight to the Cornucopia and grab all the food and supplies. Bring them to me and I'll guard them while you hide in the Cornucopia."

I had to smile, grim though it was. Emma tried not to smirk. Mary Sue nodded eagerly, Mase smiled proudly, and I innocently ate my sushi.

* * *

 **Everyone except Calvary and Mary Sue was expected in the pack, so I didn't write how they got together. Calvary's a little more complex than Mary Sue, so the characters reflected more on her.**


	21. The Loners

Gordon POV

There were clumps of Tributes at different tables. Everyone seemed to be allying. That would make it more difficult for me to kill them. I'd have to wait until they started splitting up. Some of them, like the group with the black girl, seemed _happy_ together. Did they honestly care for each other? I'd given that up long ago. On the rare occasion one looked at me, it was in fear and disgust. I hadn't done anything to any of them yet. Their scorn only made me more eager.

There was one Tribute who actually didn't hate me. Felix came up to me the first day of training and asked me to be his ally. I refused immediately, but his words stayed with me. Maybe he was just scared if he left me out I'd resent it, but he spoke to me. Maybe I could find it in my heart to kill him painlessly. I had twenty-three other marks to torture.

For me, the Capitol was underwhelming. Like so much else in life, it failed to excite any passion or emotion in me. I would appreciate the luxuries if I won, but it wouldn't make life good. It would be, as it always was, bearable.

One thing I did like was the Avoxes. They sorted my food just the way I liked it after I told them. I wondered what noises their tongueless mouths would make if I sliced them apart. It seemed too easy. Maybe they'd even try to help. If I ended up winning, maybe I'd find out.

* * *

James POV

Since I couldn't train with the weapons anymore, I asked Drone for the tapes of all the past Games. I could study them and learn from the Victors. I popped the first tape in and settled myself on a fluffy soft couch with popcorn.

The tape opened on an overhead shot of the very first batch of Tributes. I recognized Orchard right away. She was the _first Victor,_ and she was strikingly tall with near-black skin. This was going to be a great show.

When the buzzer went off, none of the Tributes moved. Orchard looked around and smiled nervously at one of the other girls. They started milling around and poking through the Cornucopia. The countdown started again.

What happened next I will never forget. When the timer reached zero again, half of the kids exploded into blood rockets. They twitched and moaned as they fell. Most of them were only a few years older than me. Orchard screamed and whimpered as she cowered behind her platform. She wasn't the legendary Victor I'd always admired. She was a scared girl. She was crying for those children she never knew. Suddenly the Games didn't seem so fun anymore.

The games ended as they began. Orchard's face was broken as a little girl feebly pawed at the arms around her neck. The first Victor fell on the ground and wept. I wept with her.

* * *

Mink POV

Capitolites were weird. They had rainbow hair, idiotic clothes, and brainless heads. Yet they considered _us_ the weird ones. I was trying to take a peek at the lower floors when two of them rushed me.

"Ooooh, are you a _tribute?"_ one said. She had curves too perfect to be natural and a face too made-up to judge.

"You dummy, that's _Mink!_ I saw your outfit in the Parade. You looked great," her companion said. She had as much paint as her friend, but she seemed to be content with what her mother gave her, which was less than her friend, but still enough for me.

"Hey, girls. What's up?" I said. No harm in small talk.

"You got a girlfriend back home?" the busty one asked. Straighforward girl.

"What she don't know won't hurt her," I said. They both squealed. Truth was, I was friendly enough with the girls in my class that the boys took to calling me "Mink the tink". I liked the ladies well enough. I just couldn't be tied down.

"Of course, it would be easier on my conscience if it was in the line of duty," I said, bucking for sponsors. If I could have two lovely ladies and _also_ improve my chances, life would be good.

"Of _course._ We wouldn't want to lose you before we get to know you," the busty one said. I looped my arms around their waists and grinned devilishly.

"How about we start getting to know each other right away? My room's upstairs."

* * *

Caleb POV

It was terribly lonely in the Capitol. My District partner formed an alliance, so we didn't see each other much. She probably would have let me in, but friendship never came easy to me. My mentor was distant and I felt rude asking him for help.

The only person I thought might be able to understand was Gordon, and there was no way I was going near him. There was something terribly off about him, and it overshadowed my suspicions. People like me can tell these things. Usually people like him openly lusted after women, or at least looked forward to killing them in disgusting ways. He never paid any attention to them. Icky though it was, I knew what he preferred. Even if I didn't have Shaw, I would have to be pretty desperate to consider Gordon. I was stuck in the Capitol with a madman as the closest thing to company.

To take my mind off things, I started imagining what I'd do if I won. I'd move into the Victor's Village, of course. Shaw would come live with me and as soon as I was eighteen we'd get married. We could eat steak and ice cream every day and give candy to all the little kids. Maybe people wouldn't think I was so akward and I'd make more friends. I certainly wouldn't have to work in the fields anymore. With my pale skin, that was almost the best part. I knew it was all a castle in the sky, but for one of us it would come true. Maybe I'd actually live in that castle someday.

* * *

 **All I had left was the lone wolves, so I wrote them all a POV too. Now all I have left is the interviews and the night before the Games.**

 **As far as I can tell, "tink" is not really a slur, though it is the name of a rapper. I derived it from Tinkerbell, who was a fairy, "fairy" being an old-timey slang word for gay man.**

 **I just looked through my notes and realized Mase throws knives. Ah well, he's the only one. One knife-thrower is perfectly reasonable.**


	22. Interviews

Seutonius Cathode POV

The lights were so hot. Every year it was harder for the stylists to get me ready. Lately I'd taken to applying tear duct relaxants before I came out. Behind the curtain, twenty-three lost children were waiting for me to give them a chance. I can't do this anymore.

"I'm very glad to be in the Capitol," Hunter said. "Once I win, I'll be sure to visit all the time." That boy knew where his bread was buttered. He didn't just know how to fight. He knew how to win. Maybe he'll be the one I see again.

"What's a lovely girl like you doing in the Games?" I asked Emma. She looked stunning in a blue ballgown and matching makeup.

"Oh, you rogue," she said. "I may look sweet, but I'm dangerous as belladonna." She was probably telling the truth, but I couldn't believe it. She should be at home holding hands with a young gentleman.

Mase was polite, bland, and likeable. He wasn't interested in banter. He just wanted to ensure sponsors. The real fuss began when Ava came out. How could the Academy let a skeleton like that come to the Games? She was shivering lightly, and up close I could see her pupils were dilated. I took her arm more to hold her steady than anything else.

"With a score like yours, you must be very confident," I said. She looked down.

"I hope I do all right. I should have trained harder," she said.

"Nonsense-" I began, before she pitched to one side. I leaped forward to catch her, but I'm not as young as I used to be, and I ended up managing to fall with her on top of me. A pair of medics came with a stretcher and carted her away, leaving me to address the shocked audience.

"Don't worry, folks. With the lights and the crowds, it could happen to anyone. Don't let this scare you away from supporting Ava. With a score like her, it wouldn't be a loss." _Dear me, I hope she's all right._

"Tell us, do you have what it takes to win the Hunger Games?" I asked Abigail. "And I can't help but notice your dress matches your parade outfit perfectly."

She smiled and sat up straight. "I know I can win. I'm part of a great alliance, and I'm going to lead them all to the end of the Games." She had to know only one could win. She seemed to have the drive to make it her. I didn't know whether to admire her or condemn her.

"Any allies-" a cough interrupted me "-for you?" I asked Cordin.

"No, but I would have if anyone asked. I really hope I get home so I can help the other kids in the orphanage," he said. The crowd moaned in sympathy. "Want to see the picture they gave me?"

"Of course," I said. He brought it from his pocket and unfolded it. I held it in front of the cameras and they plastered it on the big screen behind us. As the crowd fussed, I cleared my clogged throat.

"Can you tell us what you showed the Gamemakers?" I asked Kisarna. It was so hot I was almost panting.

"I used a short sword and throwing stars," she said. I waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't.

"Your dress is just stunning," I tried.

"Thanks."

When Shogo came out, I almost couldn't speak. When I was getting ready before the show, he'd about kicked my door down and explained what was going on. It was time for my swan song.

"Mr. Hara, how do you feel about your role in the upcoming events?" I asked.

"As you know, I'm going to be _The Last Man Standing,_ and I look forward to the fame it will bring," he said. His smile looked so warm it made my own falter. I wished him the best of luck in his role, and I meant it.

It wasn't often I got a Tribute who was actually happy. Did Skyler know where she was?

"It's really fun in the Capitol. I like all the pretty dresses," she said.

"Are you worried about the Games?" I asked.

"I'll worry about that when I'm there," she said breezily. In her place, it was probably the best way.

"Are you eager to get back to anyone at home?" I asked Gordon. He seemed completely bored.

"No," he said.

"No one at all? That's too bad," I said. Everyone should have someone to mourn them. As our interview progressed, I noticed Gordon never blinked. It was rather off-putting, and I was glad when his time was up.

"Can I say hi to my family?" Hadley asked right away. Of course I said yes, and she stared waving at the cameras.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad! Hi, Olivan!" she turned to me. "I never get to see Dad and Olivan. They live away from me and Mom in order to support us." the crowd melted in the tragedy of it all, and Hadley played it up like a natural. By the time she was done, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Her partner Lyte was a little joy. I let him do the talking after my chest seized up. I could hardly draw a breath anyway. He was hardly bigger than my little grandson. It wasn't bearable.

Reiner was an odd duck. The boy was from Seven, but he went on about how he wanted to be a Peacekeeper and maybe if he won the Capitol would make an exception. Then he changed topics and told everyone about his love, Khaleesy. It's always heartbreaking when a Tribute is engaged, and whether he did that for sponsors or love, it worked.

"And I get home, I'll finally marry her," he finished. He won't want for anything in the Arena.

I was lucky it took Ashlyn a minute to come on, since something caught in my lungs and I spent the whole break coughing. Sometimes getting old can be a real pain. Ashlyn assured me that she had everything taken care of and that she'd be seeing me again soon. Maybe, maybe not. I complimented her on her dyed hair and sent her to meet her fate.

James didn't seem like the eager boy I saw at the parade. He was very polite and courteous. He seemed quieter, like something blew out his spark.

"I know there's no way around it, so I'll do what I can and make the best of it," he said. Someone as young as he was didn't have great odds, but tell that to Silver Claws.

"Here's Eight's first volunteer," I said to Tillo. "What made you do that?"

"If I win, I can choose who I want to be. I was that freedom, and I'm ready to fight for it," she said. She was the most vibrant of the bunch. She seemed to glow with boldness and determination. People like that were rare in Panem. I hoped they didn't snuff her out.

"Oh, Seutonuis, you know I can't give that away," Mink said when I asked his strategy. He grinned at me like a fox.

"Fair enough. What _can_ you tell us?" I asked.

"I _do_ have a plan. It's new, it's good, it'll get me through the Games." I'd heard it a million times.

Demetria had some odd stylists. Her dress was yellow on the top, blue in the middle, and brown on the bottom. She was still adorable, though.

"At first I was really scared, but Ashlyn said she'd be my ally, and I know we'll be okay together," she said. If everything went right, one of them would be okay. More likely Ashlyn.

"Are you all right? You look really pale," Felix said. It wasn't often I met a boy on death row who was worried about _me._

"Oh, it's just the lights. We're interested in _you,"_ I said. "How are _you_ going to win?"

"I don't think I could hurt someone really bad," he said. "I guess I'll just focus on keeping my allies safe." Not a great strategy. He'd have to abandon his principles or his life. We'll see which.

"I'm with the Careers," Calvary said. The crowd oohed in approval.

"The _Careers?_ It's not often they recruit someone from so far out," I said.

"I know, right? I guess they wanted a softer touch," she said. She tried to seem sweet, and the crowd probably swallowed it, but I could tell it was fake. She didn't get into the Careers by baking them cookies. She was no monster, but she was tougher than she was gentle.

I hardly got a word out of Caleb. He seemed a nice boy, but it was hard to tell when he was quiet as a mouse. If he's that quiet in the Arena, he has a chance.

"I'm with the Wild Cards. Me, Cordin, Jaime, Ava, and Abigail are going to burn the place up," Willow said.

"Seems like you have a plan," I said.

"Yeah. Course, if you didn't have these dumb Games I wouldn't _have_ to have one." That intervew ended early.

Jamie had a lot more confidence than he had substance. I won't be seeing him again.

"I'm gonna run in and grab some packs for my allies. If someone comes at me, I'll have to fight them off." Sure, kid.

"I hate this outfit," Mary Sue said right away. It was the generic miner's outfit, so she had a point. It had been altered from the parade, but someone got a bit overzealous. She could barely sit down it was so tight.

"Any plans for the Games?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to win. Everyone else might as well kill themselves now." Merciful Heavens. I hate seeing any of them die, but she made it harder to care.

Once the curtain was down, I limped to my room and went right to bed without even taking off my tuxedo. It gets longer every year. Too many faces and too many deaths.

* * *

 **Right before I posted, I saw someone asked when I was going to put up the first poll. Good idea! I was going to have it right before the Bloodbath to determine who went, but then I'd have to wait a few days while the votes came in. Here's how I'm going to do it. Before the Bloodbath and then every few chapters, I'll ask who you think are the three _most likely_ Tributes to win and the three _most likely_ to die. I'll also ask for you two favorites and least favorites. I feel so mean asking you to vote down other people's Tributes, so you can put those in PMs if you want.**

 **Round one:**

 **1\. Three most likely to live through the Bloodbath (Careers are a special case, so if you leave those out I'll assume you also think they'll probably live)**

 **2\. Three most likely to die in the Bloodbath**

 **3\. Two you most _want_ to live through the Bloodbath, even if they're 12 and blind or something**

 **4\. Two you most want to go in the Bloodbath regardless of skill or aptitude.**


	23. Final Night

Shogo POV

When I got back to my room after the interviews, Kanu's picture wasn't on my bed where I left it. I ran over and tore the bedding apart, flinging sheets and blankets across the room looking for the precious paper. This couldn't be happening.

"Shogo! What _are_ you doing?" Gaudius said. He was holding something.

"I can't find Kanu's picture!" I blurted. "Have you seen it?"

"Don't worry," he said. He held up the thin square he was carrying. It was Kanu's drawing, all shiny and stiff. I snatched it and clutched it to my chest.

"I had it laminated so it wouldn't get dirty in the Games," Gaudius said. He looked so pleased with himself that I couldn't even be mad at him.

"You should get some rest. You have a big day tomorror," Gaudius said.

"How can I sleep when I'm worried about my son?" I said. My eyes filled. _And about what he's going to see._

"Don't think about that. Think about all the happy memories," Gaudius said, helpful as ever. He really did want me to be happy. He couldn't help it he was dumb. I snuggled with the stiff picture as best as I could and managed to get to sleep.

* * *

Lyte POV

It was our last time to meet before the Games. We did some talking and set a loose plan for the Bloodbath. Shogo, Hunter, and Reiner were the strongest, so they were going to take care of the supplies in the Corncuopia. Tillo was going to watch their backs and make sure I got out safe. My job was just to live, since I was the medic and I was very important.

"No matter what, we'll protect each other," Felix said. I knew he could protect me. He was so big and strong.

"We're an alliance. That's what alliances do," Shogo agreed. I looked around at them, Hunter, Tillo, and Reiner, and for the first time I felt safe.

"To the Dream Team," Tillo said. She put her arm in the center of the table. The rest of us reached in and we flung our hands up. It was a silly name and a silly motion, but it felt like a family.

* * *

Hunter POV

Before I went to bed, I gave my diary to Azure. I hadn't missed a day since I was a little kid. That book was the latest in a chronicle of my whole life.

"Give it to Mike and Gemm if I can't," I said. "You can read it too, I guess." Azure flipped to the last page.

"This is the really important one," he said. His eyes fell on my last testament.

 _Hey Mike. Hey Gemma. Guess I didn't make it. Let me tell you one thing. Don't end up like me. Here's all the reasons you shouldn't volunteer._

 _No matter how good you are, you still have a 23 out of 24 chance of dying._

 _Mom and Dad will worry. They're already sad enough about me._

 _It's not right to kill, no matter what they tell you._

 _Even if you win, you'll never like yourself again._

 _I forgot the last reason. There are a million more. Please listen to me. I love you. Sorry I wasn't a better brother._

I was afraid Azure would laugh. He blazed through his Games. I must seem terribly cowardly. He closed the book and looked at me.

"I was scared too. It's okay," he said.

"I stole my own future away," I said. How could I be so foolish?

"You have one chance. Go steal it back."

* * *

Felix POV

The sunrises aren't as pretty here as they are in Ten. Here, there are buildings to block the rays and roads filled with noise. Maybe they'll be prettier in the Arena. I heard a knock at my door. When I answered it, it was Tillo. Somehow, I didn't have the energy to be shy. I'd take any companion I could get.

"Reiner managed to get himself into the kitchen," she said as she handed me a jam tart. "These are for the alliance. Better eat them before we get into the tubes, or they'll take them away."

"How is everyone?" I asked. I knew she'd been checking up on our allies all day.

"Shogo was real cheery. Probably just a brave face for his son. Reiner looked worried but he wished me good luck. Maybe it was because I woke him up. Lyte was happy to see me and happier to see the tart. Hunter was asleep. I was so surprised the others were awake I wasn't even bothered," she said. "You watching the sunrise?" I nodded.

"The birds seem happier in the morning," I said. "I feel as free as they are awake so early. It's like I'm not about to die." Tillo looked shocked when I smiled. She looked down at her lap.

"What's wrong?" I asked. _Dumb question._

"I feel like a million butterflies are about to burst in my stomach," she said. I wanted to wipe her tears away, but I didn't want to be forward. Then she removed the problem by crying so hard I couldn't.

"We're all going to be dead in a few hours. Lyte doesn't even know. He's just a kid. No one's going to care. No one will even remember us," she said.

"I'll remember you," Cornflower's voice came. I looked over and she was peeking inside the door with her fingers on the frame. I didn't even hear her come.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"If someone cries in your room, an alarm goes off in mine," she said. She remained in her perch.

"Does death hurt much?" Tillo asked. Cornflower slunk out of sight, leaving me to answer.

"I don't know. You volunteered so you could be free, remember? Even death is better than being a slave," I said. Tillo turned pale and started to fold over.

"You're going to throw up!" I warned. I patted her back as she started breathing deeply. Her eyes were still full of tears, but I didn't know what else to do. Soon we'll both be dead. I never had another chance. I leaned in and kissed her. For a second we embraced, and then she turned her face into my shoulder and held me. I did my best to hold her back.

* * *

Ava POV

The table in front of me held a basket of bread, pats of butter, mashed potatoes, beef stew, a bowl of fruit, a chocolate cake, and a roasted chicken. I looked from one to another, trying to make one look appetizing.

 _You have to eat. Pray told you to._ But I was supposed to be strong. I needed to discipline myself and have control over my body. They wanted me to be weak, like the others. They couldn't control their appetites. I'd worked years to master mine.

 _Pray says you need energy. She knows what she's talking about. She's a Victor._ Then why did she want me to falter? All I needed was a few crackers and an apple. That's all I usually ate, and I got this far.

 _Just this once. When you're in the Arena, you can go back._ That's what quitters say. "Just once" they say, and then they never stop cheating.

 _Stop it. Just eat._ I grabbed a bun. I didn't need butter. That was too rich. It was such a large bun, too. I tore it in half. Carbs are good for energy. They're just so fattening. I ate two bites and set it down.

 _Not cake. Not potatoes, too starchy. I guess a little soup is okay._ I fished the potatoes and beef out and nibbled on the vegetables and sipped the broth.

 _Probably 500 calories,_ I told myself. My stomach felt stretched to the limit. Even if I wanted, I just couldn't eat any more. Already I felt the urge to vomit. I'd done all I could. I hoped it was enough.

* * *

Caleb POV

There were so many things I'd never done. I hadn't graduated. I hadn't told Shaw I wanted to marry him. I'd never gotten into trouble with a best friend or heard my parents say they were proud of me. There wasn't enough time for anything. In a few hours I'd start running for my life. I didn't even have an alliance. They'd all be looking for the loners, and that was me. I was the fox the hounds were after. I didn't know if I even had a chance.

* * *

Willow POV

 _ **Willow Trill's Last Will and Testament**_

 _Mom and Dad, sorry I died. I love you and I did my best. I don't have much stuff, so this won't take long. Please don't bury me in my charm bracelet. I really love it, but I want you guys to use it. Unless one of you wants to keep it, please sell it and use the money for family needs. To my brother Barley I leave the blackberry bush I never told you guys about because I was selfish. It's by the dead oak tree. To Harvey I leave my favorite spot in the climbing tree, the one he always tried to steal when I got out. Everything else you can just sell or whatever. I love you all. Hope I see you again._

 _Willow Trill, witnessed by Orchard Jones_

Peppermint refused to sign, saying it would stop me from fighting my hardest. Orchard didn't say a word. She knew what I meant. I didn't intend to die, but none of us did. It wasn't up to me.

* * *

 **I just remembered I'm leaving for two days tomorrow. Instead of making you wait, I'll just do the Bloodbath tonight. Sorry to the people who didn't get a chance to vote. The Bloodbaths usually aren't much of a surprise anyway. I tallied the votes and took into account popularity and skill. No one you guys all loved will die, and no one you all hate will live. For Tributes that weren't mentioned at all, I considered them neutral and judged them by aptitude.**


	24. Into the Tubes

Hunter POV

I took out Reiner's tart just as I was getting in the tube. For one last moment, I'd have something lovely.

An Avox motioned at it and held out her hand. I shoved it in my mouth and at it before the tube was even closed. I smiled at the Avox, who turned away and pretended he didn't see. I hoped he didn't get in trouble. He couldn't have stopped me.

* * *

Pray POV

Did she even eat? One day would hardly make a difference. It was too late. What a waste of a life. Ava had drive and stamina like few I'd ever seen. Why didn't anyone help her? This is what the Academy is. They killed her before they ever chose her as volunteer.

* * *

Acee POV

"Nothing is beneath you. Nothing is useless. Make the Arena work for you," I told Abigail and Cordin. It hadn't worked since my own Games. Maybe this year I'll get a partner. But how could I root for one? I would wish the other death.

* * *

Jonah POV

"Places, please. Here's your mark," I pointed to the tube. "It will bring you to the first scene. It's a battle scene, so get ready to work. Don't worry, it's just a movie." I didn't know I was such a good liar. My smile was good enough to photograph.

* * *

Soleil POV

Skyler was wearing a plain blue t-shirt and black pants that reached to the middle of her calves.

"Unless they're playing some dirty trick, it's not too hot or too cold in there," I said. "Did you make a rendezvous plan with Hadley?" Skyler was in too much shock to reply. Most of the Tributes would be. When the gong rang, fight or flight would come without thought. With Skyler, I hoped it was flight.

* * *

Toby POV

"Run. Hide. Don't let them find you," I begged Hadley. She was my only chance, even if Lyte was almost smiling through his trembling. I tried not to think about him, but he wouldn't leave me be. Hadley grabbed her stomach and heaved. Nothing came up, and she kept her head down while she took deep breaths. They were hardly gone before I cried.

* * *

Sequoia POV

I've had Tributes scream and claw the ground when they were dragged into the tubes. I've seen them charge in with smiles and charge into the Bloodbath to their deaths. Ashlyn looked at the descending tube like a guillotine. Her face was almost empty.

"I'm probably going to die. I'll last as long as I can," she said. She climed into the tube, crossed her arms in front of her eyes, leaned against the glass and shook.

* * *

Drone POV

"It's not what I thought it was," James said. "It's awful in there."

"I know," I said. I'd done things to get my Victory. James didn't have the strength to do them. Now he didn't have the heart either.

"It's okay to run," I said. He nodded. I didn't think it would be enough.

* * *

Demetria POV

I clenched Chimera's hand and waited for the tube.

"Don't let go," I pleaded.

"Don't worry. Maybe the odds are in your favor," Chimera said. He didn't even seem nervous.

"Here it comes!" he pointed out. "Let's get you in place." Does he really know what he's talking about?

* * *

Cornflower POV

They were the strongest Tributes I'd had since Jean. I might be able to go home next year. I _did_ want them to live, but it was hard to hope for, since someone else would have to die. I didn't want anyone to die.

* * *

Peppermint POV

I don't need the Avoxes. I scooped Willow up under an arm, carried her across the room, and plopped her into the tubes. She banged on the glass for a while, then pulled herself together and looked up. Dang it, she'll have to do better than that. If she keeps her allies about her, odd group though they are, they might be able to make something of themselves.

* * *

Demi POV

I could hardly believe how nice Jamie looked. Instead of the terrible outfits Tributes usually had in the Arena, he was actually wearing serviceable, though plain, clothes.

"Have fun with all the others!" I said as I waved him off. I shot Mary Sue a narrow side-eye and turned back to Jamie. I _do_ hope he does well.

* * *

 **1\. If you haven't voted, you have until I get the next chapter written.**

 **2\. Hunter got a POV instead of Estrella because his submitter asked for a scene in the tubes.**

 **3\. I'm sorry to announce that Demi's ditziness may in fact be terminal.**


	25. Sixty Seconds

Abigail POV

I wasn't expecting this. Before, the Arenas had always been natural. I'd never heard of an indoor Arena. Overhead, an enormous skylight lit the ring of platforms. All around me, there was storefront after storefront. It was something I'd only read about in books, even though there were plenty in the Capitol and One and Two. We were inside the biggest mall I'd ever dreamt of. I saw a metal staircase in one direction, and the Cornucopia was in the center of an intersection. Store-lined pathways led out like the spokes of a wheel. I had fifty-nine seconds to decide where to go. I didn't need any of them.

* * *

James POV

 _Is it worth a try?_ The Cornucopia was overflowing with weapons. I saw swords, spears, knives, a blowgun, sharp-looking metal stars, and tons more. There wasn't the usual survival stuff. Besides the weapons, there was only a few pieces of food and a bunch of scattered envelopes. My curiosity got the better of me. I had to know. In thirty-six seconds, I would.

* * *

Caleb POV

 _No..._

Mase was on my left. Ava was on my right. I knew which was I was running. Hope she's as malnourished as she looks. The seconds of my life ticked away as I looked at the Arena and the other Tributes. We wouldn't freeze to death, not that that was the Gamemaker's intent. This year, they didn't want a single natural death. For us, there was no easy way out.

* * *

Kisarna POV

Twenty-eight seconds left. In thirty-three seconds, those throwing stars would be mine. Time to find out which Tributes can run faster than I can throw. The others always blustered about their skills and their savagery. I didn't need to annouce myself. Actions speak louder than words.

* * *

Calvary POV

 _This is going to be easier than life back home._ Any of the stores around me were more luxurious than me and Dustin's shack. I was used to the outdoor markets in Ten, and this place seemed like a science fiction destination. In a place like this, I didn't need anything from the Cornucopia. I'd scratched a living out of the gutter. This was easy street.

* * *

Mink POV

 _Guess we don't need Ten after all. Any of us know more about this place than she does. Hick's probably never seen a shopping mall._ Calvary better look sharp. She was useless as an ally and too dangerous to leave alive. In twelve seconds, she better start running.

* * *

Ava POV

Me and Abigail are the only ones who had a chance in the Bloodbath. As the final seconds ticked down, I caught her eye. She glanced at the staircase and waved her first and second fingers. Cordin and Willow were looking at her too, and they nodded. She was our tactician, and we'd worked out hand signals. I clenched my first, and she nodded back. She was to lead them up the staircase and head for the edge of the Arena. I'd grab the supplies and rendezvous with them. It was all decided before the final three seconds drained away.

The gong sounded. The Games began.

* * *

 **There you have it. I always thought indoor Arenas were a little over-the-top, but this is Fanfiction. Anything goes. I live near enough the Mall of America to visit it, and that gave me an idea. This Arena is a future version of the Mall of America. Before the Dark Days, it was expanded so it was closer in size to today's Dubai Mall, which covers 2.0 square miles (compared to the world's smallest country, Vatican City, at 0.2 square miles). Since the MOA is one building, it isn't quite that big. After the Dark Days, the mall was in ruins, but the Capitol restored it to appear new, though not everything works. It remains to be seen how much useful stuff is left. Also, Camp Snoopy- or Nickelodeon Universe, at it was renamed, was removed to make room for more shops. Underwaterworld may or may not remain.**


	26. Bloodbath

**Yeah, I meant Mase, not Mink. Oops.**

* * *

Mary Sue POV

 _This isn't what we planned. There's hardly anything for me to bring to Mase. Better ask him what he wants._ I trotted forward as the others dashed into the Arena. When Mase saw me coming, he stopped in his sprint and pulled me closer. Then he shoved me back, swept my legs out from under me, and slammed me to the ground. My head cracked against the hard floor and I put up my arms to wave him off. He grabbed me by the hair and smashed me into the ground again and again. That wasn't the plan at all.

* * *

Lyte POV

Gordon was right next to me, but it was okay. The others would protect me. I saw Tillo watch where the others ran, dart in to grab an envelope, and turn to run after me as I dashed down the nearest path. Before she got to me, someone tackled me from behind. He flipped me over and started pressing his thumbs into my eyes. I caught a glimpse of Gordon.

"Felix!" I screamed. "Felix! Reiner! Shogo!" I squirmed and turned my head away from the awful pain. Gordon grabbed my hair and yanked my head back as he pressed his knee against my throat. My screams of terror and pain were muffled as he settled his weight on the knee blocking my breath. I tore at him and the ground around us, struggling for a grip on the smooth tile.

 _Reiner, Tillo, please hurry! It hurts Felix, Fe-_

* * *

Reiner POV

I saw Gordon just as Lyte went limp. I screamed in rage and vengeance as I hurled the spear I'd grabbed at the butcher. Gordon toppled to the side, and Tillo bent over Lyte. She was too late. We all were. Three warriors and an Amazon, and we couldn't save one boy. What were our lives worth?

* * *

Jamie POV

The Careers could have the weapons. I just wanted a little food and one of those envelopes. At the mouth of the Cornucopia I saw a long loaf of bread. I snatched it and turned to run, weaving between the other Tributes. Most of the Careers were already digging through the weapons. With any luck they wouldn't stop to run after me. I'd outrun them anyway.

Turned out, it didn't matter. Arrows fly faster than either of us could run.

* * *

Cordin POV

As soon as the gong sounded, I sprinted across the ring to Abigail. She waited an instant for me and Willow, then darted toward the broken escalator. We ran up one flight only to find two more. How big _is_ this place? I started to climb the next flight, but she held me back.

"That's where they'll all go," she said. She grabbed my hand and we ran perpendicular to the Cornucopia and around a corner, out of range.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To the edge," she said. I looked behind me to see if Willow knew what she meant. There was no one there.

* * *

Willow POV

 _I can't make it across._ I was on the other side of Abigail. _I'll have to sneak around the back._ I started running around the Cornucopia, pausing when I reached the tail. I peeked out to see where the Careers were.

Maybe that wasn't a good idea. They were right in front of me, at least Kisarna was. I knew the Games were a terrible idea.

* * *

Caleb POV

It was a good idea to run away from Mase. Unfortunately, he knew it too. He sprang for me the instant the gong rang. He was on my platform before I was off it. While his arm was tightening around my neck. I had time for one thought. Of course I spent it on Shaw. I prayed I'd see him again.

* * *

Demetria POV

I didn't have a chance. I knew I didn't. So why wasn't I dead yet? I was running straight out from my platform, listening to the screams and slashes from behind me. Was I already dead and I didn't even notice? Almost any one of them could snuff me in an instant. At any second Emma's arrows could cut me down. I tripped as I rounded a corner and crawled against a glass door, sobbing into my hands. Someone grabbed my arms and I screamed.

"Shhh! It's just me," Ashlyn hissed. She hauled me to my feet. "Come on, we have to get out of here." I ran behind her like she was my lifeline. After a long time, the screaming stopped.

* * *

Emma POV

When all was said and done, six cannons rang out. Not a great year. It wasn't normal to have so little food, either. Some of the outliers snatched a few pieces, and we had maybe three days' worth. I had my bow and the Gamemakers even provided the poison I told them I preferred in my session, but that wasn't enough. Something was off.

 _You,_ I remembered. I picked an envelope up off the ground and tore it open.

 **Up the escalator. One floor. Forward twenty feet. Turn left. Across from the minigolf course**

"Hey, guys," I called. Mase and Kisarna gathered beside me. Calvary warily listened from fifteen feet away. "What do you think?"

Kisarna opened another five envelopes. "They all say the same thing."

"Let's check it out," Mase said. It if _was_ a trap, it wouldn't make sense to set it for all of us. That would be a bad show. More likely, it was the supplies that weren't in the Cornucopia. That was where we needed to be.

* * *

 **Our first batch of obituaries. Don't blame me. I only give the people what they want.**

 **24th place: Mary Sue Brooklyn- Head smashed by Mase**

 **I suppose everyone handles comical characters differently. Some would say they make the Games less realistic, but I don't mind a little comic relief. No one wants their Tribute to die first, and Mary Sue took care of that. She was odious, icky, despicable, and utterly easy to let go. Thanks for requesting that your Tribute die first. You're a hero to us all.**

 **23rd place: Lyte Anderson- Throat crushed by Gordon**

 **I'd have killed Lyte first, since he was mine, but santiago specifically wanted Mary to be the first death. I made Lyte up as a filler, and you guys really embraced him. I'm glad you liked him so much. I would have let him live through the Bloodbath if he got enough votes, but he would have died anyway, so just as well. I'd never seen a Tribute who wanted to be a doctor. I'm not sure it's right with canon, but _someone's_ gotta be a doctor. There's no medical District. Since I made Lyte, I'll give me a pat on the back for putting him here so your Tributes can live longer.**

 **22nd place: Gordon Spokes- Speared by Reiner**

 **I'd have thought Gordon would live longer, but he scored low on both the least favorite and least likely to live polls (or highly...), so I killed him. I don't know if it's because I have a mental illness too (tests came back on the 23rd. I'm autistic) but no matter how evil you make your Tributes, I always sympathize with them. As a Christian, I don't think anyone is irredeemably evil. I look at kids like Gordon and all I see is that at one point, they were innocent babies. Something went wrong, and I wish I could help. Thanks stellaslomp for Gordon. I don't really go villains in my Games, but he would have been the closest thing if you guy's didn't vote him to death.**

 **21st place: Jamie Coal- Arrow fired by Emma**

 **Jamie was a Bloodbath. I aim to please. Remember when I talked about "that one kid from Eleven or something who runs into the Bloodbath and gets himself killed"? Jamie. I appreciate people who want their Tributes to go into the Bloodbath. That's what most Tributes did in canon, and most submitters say their Tributes avoid it or grab stuff on the outskirts. Thanks Emberstoashes. You sent in a Bloodbath. You the real MVP.**

 **20th place: Willow Trill- Throwing star thrown by Kisarna**

 **Willow's submitter said she'd probably die by a stupid mistake or mishap. Poking your head out to check for enemies isn't the dumbest thing in the world, but it was the dumbest thing I could think of quickly. Willow never would have won. She didn't have the skills and she had too big a mouth. She went quick and her alliance lives on. Thanks ItsaCatsWorld for that rare Tribute with honest weaknesses and an honest low chance of winning.**

 **19th place: Caleb Lindsay- Neck broken by Mase**

 **Lots of SYOTs feature strangulation. In real life, it's crazy hard to strangle someone barehanded, and it takes at least five minutes. Thus, I have a lot of neck snaps. I don't know how easy that is in real life. For some reason, Caleb scored low on the likely to die poll, and he didn't have enough favorite votes to save him. I was neutral on him, so I'd have let him live longer. Thanks LX4 for not overpowering Caleb. I can't stress enough how much I appreciate all of you who send normal Tributes. We didn't get to know Caleb very well. I'm sure we missed out.**

 **FOR NEXT CHAPTER:**

 **1\. Who would you sponsor and what would you give them?**

 **2\. Who do you think will die next, factoring in popularity?**

 **3\. Who definitely should NOT die next?**


	27. Districts Eleven and Twelve Epitaphs

Peppermint POV

What a pair of wimps. They couldn't even make it past the Bloodbath. Eleven hadn't done so badly in years. Of course it was terrible they died, but if they'd kept their heads they wouldn't be in this mess. I thought maybe at least Caleb would be able to slip away. As for Willow, she was almost as brash as I was. I was just strong enough to fight back. I shouldn't have had to be, and neither should they.

* * *

District Eleven POV

At first, it was like they weren't even gone. The Trills mourned in private, afraid that any indication of their pain would bring repercussions on us all. Caleb's father worked silently and stoutly. If he worked any harder he'd work himself to death. Maybe that was what he wanted. The only marker of the pain we all felt was when Shaw's mother found him dangling from a belt in his room, barely alive. He doesn't talk much anymore. None of us can give him what he needs. We hope he finds it someday.

* * *

Demi POV

Mary Sue _was_ a little ogre, but bashing her head in was an overreaction. Poor girl. Obviously she had no one to teach her manners. Poor Jaime got it almost as bad. This is the only part of being an escort I didn't like. Of course we had to ensure the Districts didn't start another war, but I never liked watching the little children get hurt. Something wasn't right about that.

* * *

District 12 POV

Most of us could adjust to life without Mary Sue, but her family didn't see it our way. To them, she was their beloved daughter. Death is tragic no matter a person's character. The worst was what happened to Jamie's friends. They didn't run with the same abandon and play as carefree as they used to. They'd seen their mortality at far too young an age.


	28. Making Plans

James POV

That wasn't fun. I wished I'd never dreamed it was. Even if I didn't really think it was an adventure and I knew it was terrible, I still used to like watching it. I don't know if that makes me too terrible to forgive. I hope not.

After everything got quiet, six cannons went off. I never wanted to hear another again. I cried softly as I crept along a wide-open hall walled in by rows of empty room and floored with gray and red tiles. Everything was so big and exposed. I wished the walkways were more enclosed. When the gong went off, I was too afraid to run up the stairs. I thought I'd just be a sitting duck for Emma's arrows. I'd gotten away, but now I was on the same floor that they were. When they came looking for the rest of us, I'd be their first target.

My first thought was the find an exit, but the door I found was welded shut. To get to the stairs, I'd have to go back past the Cornucopia. My best bet was to hide on the first floor until they went to the second, then sneak past them somehow. I started looking into the stores on either side of me, hoping the Gamemakers had left some supplies.

Gamemakers have a terrible sense of humor. The first store I went into was full of camping supplies. The only thing missing was all the food. Everything that would have been wonderful to have in an outdoor Arena, but completely useless here, was stretched out before me. _Real_ funny.

The next store was full of soft, thick coats and blankets made from some sort of wool. There were clumps of stuffed animals around the clothes, and the tags informed me that they were "alpacas". I searched around for any food they might have missed, even though they couldn't really miss when they were the ones who filled the Arena. I found a single candy bar on the front counter. I didn't have any water, so I saved it for later. I was looking for more when I heard the squeak of a shoe on the tiles outside. I crouched down and folded myself up behind the counter.

 _They're coming for you like they came for the others,_ I thought. _You never helped them and now nobody's going to help you._

* * *

Abigail POV

"Where are we going?" Cordin asked as I looked for the sign.

"We're going to find water," I said. "Look for a drawing of a man and a woman."

"Where's Willow and Jamie? And Ava?" he asked.

"Ava's meeting up with us later. I don't know where the others are. Look," I said, pointing to the sign that marked our destination. As I expected, it was at the end of a tucked-away hall, near where the exit would be if this wasn't an Arena. Under a simplified drawing of a female form, a sign declared _Women._

"Is that a _bathroom?"_ Cordin asked. I took his hand and pulled him inside. There was a row of sinks, and I immediately turned the handle on the nearest one. I wasn't surprised when nothing came out, but I wasn't done yet. Cordin looked like he wasn't sure whether to be more disgusted about the Bloodbath or the fact that he was in the ladies' restroom. On the inside, I felt just as overwhelmed, but I had to prioritize. I had to have something to work toward and to take my mind off the horror we were in. I opened the first stall and lifted the toilet lid, confirming my suspicions. The Gamemakers, spoiled as they were, saw fit to provide working toilets in such a convenient Arena. A cup of clear, lovely water lay in the bottom of the toilet well.

"You should close the door," Cordin said. He started toward the exit.

"It's not that. Come look," I said. He reluctantly joined me and I pointed out the water.

"We're going to drink _that?"_ he asked. "That's disgusting. Is it even safe?"

"Don't worry," I said. I lifted the top off the toilet and exposed the reservoir in its lid. "We're going to drink _that."_

* * *

Hunter POV

We made it to the third floor before everything fell apart. Felix started bawling as soon as we sat down in a shop filled with the scent of a hundred different candles. Tillo wrapped her arms around him and they sat on the floor by a row of wax lumps marked "Mulled Apple Spice". Reiner pretended to sit lookout in the doorway as he cried along with them, and Shogo wore an expression of forced nonchalant gaiety that was terrible to look at. We were a mess.

At a time like this, I needed to be a leader more than ever. I tore me up as much as the rest to see was Gordon did to Lyte, but unlike them, I was a Career. This was my job, and I had to kill a lot more before I could go home. I didn't want to kill anyone in our alliance, but if it came down to it, I had to protect myself first. I wasn't like them. I didn't have their compassion.

"All right, everyone, I know it's hard, but we need to focus," I began. "We need a plan."

"We _had_ a plan. It was to take care of each other and protect each other," Felix said. "Where did that get us?" his voice cracked.

"There's nothing we can do about that now. All we can do is protect what we have left," I said.

"A lot of good that does Lyte," Reiner said.

"Hunter's right. Lyte is gone. We have to keep going," Shogo said. I knew the deal with him and his son. How was he going to get out of this one? I'd help as much as I could.

"Lyte would want us to win," I said. I tried to think of the dramatic speech a brave hero would give in a book, the sort of thing the tough leader character would belt at his followers in a movie. I drew myself up and spoke more boldly.

"If we sit around and let them come for us, he'll die in vain. We have to pull together and make sure he is _avenged._ We're not going to let them come for us. We're going to come for _them,"_ I boomed. It sounded cheap and cheesy to me, but a little kid might not know the difference. To my horror, it seemed my followers didn't either. They stood up and looked at me with determination and ferocity. They wanted me to lead a daring attack against the Careers. It was too late for me to go back now, but they had no idea what they were getting into. I was leading my alliance into a slaughter.

* * *

Skyler POV

Last time, I tried to cheer Hadley up when she was crying. This time, it was all on her, and there wasn't enough comfort in the world after what I just saw. I had started to run after one of the envelopes when the Games began, but someone started making an awful, wet screaming noise, and I turned around and fled. Hadley was faster than I was, and she had time to grab a bag of fruit before she caught up to me. One of Emma's arrows flew over our heads as we ran up the stairs. When I heard the others start shrieking along with the first girl, I opened my mouth to scream with them. Hadley slapped me and pulled me into a store before I could recover from the stun.

"It's all right, it's all right," she whispered as she tried to wrap herself around me. She dug her fingers into my hair, clenching and pulling at it whenever another voice joined the awful noise. We stayed like that a long time, even after it was quiet.

"They're dead," I sobbed as I rocked myself by the glass wall of the store entrance. I repeated it over and over. Skyler pulled me to my feet and guided me to a room in the back of the store. She pulled handfuls of clothing off racks on the walls and dumped them on the floor of the little room, underneath a tiny bench in one corner. She shut the door and pressed in the lock. Then we huddled together in the fabric pile and pulled the dresses over our heads in a fragile and comforting cocoon.

* * *

 **No deaths yet since the Bloodbath is just over. Mostly these were to set up the Arena and show how characters reacted to the Bloodbath.**

 **I decided to change up my polls. I hate asking people negative things like who they want to die, so I'll focus on the positive. Every chapter I'll ask who you all most want not to die. Tributes that show up the most there will be safe, while Tributes that don't show up are at risk of dying. That way, the Tribute you pick will still win, but it won't be completely boring as Tributes get eliminated in the order you all see coming.**

 **1\. You get two picks: who should be safe? This is definitely a strategy-based choice. You might know one character you like will get a lot of votes but another might not. One vote can be the difference, so don't be afraid to pick someone weaker or less popular.**

 **2\. If you want, you can suggest a sponsor gift. That's based on popularity too, so I'll keep watch and send stuff as you request.**

 **One last thing: I have been known to forget I didn't kill a Tribute and not mention her for ten chapters :( If I neglect a Tribute, don't hesitate to tell me. I'm trying to bounce between the alliances and the loners, and it will get easier as we lose more Tributes.**


	29. Strange Discoveries

Mase POV

 _Yes! Yes, yes yes!_

Food was everywhere. The map had led us to a food court the size of most malls back in Two. Signs advertising every kind of food imaginable stretched around us, daring us to try a hundred different dishes. I saw one with the word "steak" in it and hopped over the counter. None of the food was hot, but a refridgerator was packed full of red, juicy meat.

"Jackpot!" I crowed. Kisarna searched through the stores and seemed to be starting an inventory. Emma and Calvary had stayed behind to sweep the first floor before they joined us. I'd go fetch them in a while, but there was no rush. It seemed ironic or something that I was still "stealing" even in the Games. Since there was nobody to stop me, I didn't care, not that I would have anyway. I fiddled with a grill, trying to get it to light. The flames spurted into life and I slapped the steak over it, hoping for the best. Now the Careers had all the weapons they needed and enough food to last a month. We didn't even have to hunt the others. We could just wait them out. Of course, I wasn't nearly that patient or merciful.

* * *

Emma POV

I wasn't surprised when Calvary elected to stay with me and sweep the first floor. I knew she wasn't out for blood, but I also saw the way Mase looked at her. I wanted to warn her, but this was the Games. There was no room for friendship. I knew what I should have done was shoot her before she got away. She had to know she didn't fit with the Careers in this Arena. Now that I saw her as a real person and not a target, it wasn't that easy. If it was down to us, I'd kill her to live, but if I didn't have to, I just didn't want to. When she said she heard a noise and was checking around the corner, I knew what she was doing. I pretended not to notice her looking over her shoulders and weaving slightly. It hurt, but she was just being smart. I wouldn't trust me either.

I swept through the rest of the stores on my own. The sheer number of them was boggling. They just kept coming. Finally I started glancing over them and looking for anything out of place. I finally found what I was looking for when I noticed a stuffed sheep lying on the ground next to a neatly arranged pile of them. I drew my arrow back and cautiously swept the entrance, looking for any attackers. I stalked inside and walked the borders of the store. When I reached the far corner, in the corner of my eyes I could see a boy curled under the counter looking back at me.

I didn't recognize the boy. I didn't even know his name. It was easy to think of him as just another number. In my heart I knew it wasn't like that, but I couldn't give myself that luxury. He was my target. I let my arrow fly.

* * *

James POV

I never felt the poison on Emma's arrow. The wound was fatal without it. It was a more merciful death than many I'd watched. I had paid the price for my callousness. I could go in peace.

* * *

Ashlyn POV

The Careers were on the move. Calvary walked by the shoe store I'd herded Demetria into. She was looking behind her like she thought someone was stalking her. It was probably that preoccupation that made her miss us huddled by a rack of floral-print ladies' flats. When she was out of sight, I crawled to the door and peeked around. No one was coming, but the Careers were far too close for comfort.

"Come on," I whispered to Demetria. She looked at me wide-eyed and crept next to me.

"We have to get out before they come back," I said. We'd have to sneak past the Cornucopia while they were all out looking for us. It was a daring, audacious plan, but it was our only chance. Demetria took my hand and we snuck deeper into the winding halls, hoping to find a back staircase before we ended up back at the Cornucopia. The hallway opened up to a huge intersection. Far in front of us was what looked like a front entrance. The glass was painted over and surely the doors were melted shut, but what caught my eye was a gaping hole in the ground. I ran forward and saw it was just what I was hoping. Here in the recesses of the mall was a staircase leading _down._ We were probably the first ones to find it, and with luck the Careers would get bored and move up before they came this far. There wasn't really much chance of that, but it was the best I had.

Whatever we expected to find at the bottom, we didn't find it. We certainly didn't expect to find a halfway lifesize plastic pirate ship. It was so bombastically out of place that it seemed like the perfect camp. As we crawled in, I noticed that the whole floor smelled dirty and almost alive. I'd have to explore further, but for the moment, I just wanted to lay inside our ship and pretend the rest of the Arena was far, far away.

* * *

 **18th place: James Gray**

 **I was going to kill James in the Bloodbath and forgot to. Then I was too lazy to add in his death, so I killed him now instead. He didn't have the skills to win, which probably affected your votes. If you pick someone wimpy I'll still have him or her win, but you seem to weigh both story and capability when you make your votes. James thoroughly learned his lesson, and he died at peace. Many of us take dark pleasure in morbid things, so we can identify with a boy who liked The Hunger Games a little (we all do a lot if we're here, of course). Thanks Jms2 for James. He was realistic, had real faults and not that crap "I'm a perfectionist" stuff, and he just wasn't bombastic. He was a pleasure to write.  
**

 **When I went to Underwaterworld as a littler kid, there was this awesome pirate ship we could play in. It has since been removed for something else, but it lives on as Ashlyn and Demetria's shelter.**

 **It occurred to me that I write faster than you can review, but worry not. I shall assume popular characters remain popular and when I get ahead of you I won't go crazy and kill everyone. Most quick chapters will have no deaths. I knew James wasn't going to be voted Victor, and any deaths will be similar characters.**


	30. The First Night

**On a suggestion from , I started these chapters which will detail the nightly Anthem. In this Arena, pictures are projected on the glass doors and bathroom mirrors. Each fallen Tribute gets a blurb from someone who interacted with him or her. Thanks for the idea!**

* * *

The lights in the stores and hallways flicked off, leaving only the skylight to illuminate the Arena. The sun had just set, and the moon faintly lit the Cornucopia, fading away around it. Somehow, the Arena wasn't pitch black. Just enough light remained for the Tributes to move should they want to. The Gamemakers wouldn't want twelve hours of inaction. The Anthem flooded the Arena, and pictures started to flash.

* * *

 _Gordon Spokes-_ Abigail POV

The mirror in our bathroom flickered and pictures projected onto it. It was a huge relief to see Gordon first. I hadn't thought anyone wanted to be the one to attack him. Whoever it was, we were all thankful. I'd never forget Gordon's aura or the awful smile he aimed at me while the countdown was still going. Now no one ever has to see it again.

* * *

 _Lyte Anderson-_ Reiner POV

Lyte was beaming like a little boy who got his first puppy. When did he know we weren't coming to rescue him? When did he know he was going to die? Gordon was dead too, but that didn't bring him back. Lyte should have been the one to go back home. If one of us wins, we'll have to live with it.

* * *

 _James Gray-_ Emma POV

First Jamie, then James. Kind of an odd combination. That's just how the odds worked. Pity I had to do it, but there was no way out now. I'd do my best to make it quick. I had to be careful. I already let Calvary become a person. I had to keep the rest the way they were, or I'd never be able to live with myself.

* * *

 _Caleb Lindsay-_ Felix POV

I should have been more persuasive. If Caleb had been with us we could have protected him. Caleb never said much to anyone. I wish I'd gotten to know him better. He was probably a really cool kid. It was hard to know that not only were all those faces dead, but they were real people. Except for Lyte, they blurred and didn't seem to matter. Why are people like that? Probably because if we knew how sad it was, we wouldn't be able to go on.

* * *

 _Willow Trill-_ Cordin POV

I gasped and drew back in shock when I saw Willow's face. She was supposed to be just separated from us. She was going to find her way back, like Ava did. How could she be gone so fast? She didn't even live a day. One of those cannons back after the Bloodbath must have been hers. I heard it and I didn't even know. It didn't matter if we were an alliance. Any of us could die at any time.

* * *

 _Jamie Coal-_ Ava POV

I didn't even see it happen. I should have been there. I wasn't fast enough or vigilant enough. I got the daggers and the envelope, but none of that mattered. I failed Jamie and I failed Willow. Was I going to fail Abigail and Cordin too? I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't be worth two cents.

* * *

 _Mary Sue Brooklyn-_ Mase POV

 _So long, sucker._ What a perfect con. If only it hadn't been so easy.


	31. Eye of the Storm

Mink POV

This hadn't been as exciting as I thought. The second day in the Arena had gone by without so much as a peep. Back at the Bloodbath I'd grabbed a spear and an envelope. After I ripped it open, it seemed likely that the Careers would also go wherever it was pointing me, so I tucked it away for later use. I was itching for some action, but necessities had to come first. I needed supplies.

I'd stuck around on the second floor, hoping to get to some of the weaker Tributes before the Careers cleared the ground floor. I passed by water fountains once in a while, but none of them worked. A day without water wouldn't kill me, but I was getting pretty thirsty. I rifled through various stores, but not much useful came up. If I needed scented lotion I knew where to go, but it wasn't water.

One of the stores I came across looked like it was occupied. Most likely one of the younger Tributes was in it, since they left it disheveled. Maybe it was Demetria. She was immature enough not to notice some telltale debris. Most encouragingly, what looked like some sort of food crumb was on the floor. I'd take that, thanks very much. It wasn't sporting to kill Demetria, but someone else would anyway. I followed the crumbs to a rough hole in the back wall.

 _Did Demetria_ claw _this out? She must have gouged it out with a pen or something,_ I thought as I surveyed the ragged, dog-sized gap. I couldn't look into the hole without blocking the light, so I started pounding on the wall around it.

"Hey! Better come out before I come in and make you," I said. Nothing responded, so I shoved my spear through the drywall. Immediately, a shrill, inhuman squeak rang out.

 _That doesn't sound like a kid,_ I thought. I shoved the spear in again and felt whatever I'd stabbed rise up and move toward the hole. First I saw whiskers, and then a nasty gray face with two long, sharp exposed teeth. It wasn't Demetria at all. It was a big, nasty mouse. I would have laughed if it wasn't the size of a calf. There was a bloody smear above one of its black eyes, and it looked like it knew who had made it.

I pulled my spear out and tried to get it in front of me as the mutt sprang on me. I only had enough time to get it halfway there before the mutt's weight pinned it against my neck. The staff barred its progress enough to keep its snapping teeth from mashing my throat, but it started gnawing my shoulder and tearing my arms to ribbons with its claws.

 _You want a fight?_ I thought as I rolled around underneath it. I threw the spear forward, pushing the mouse back off me. I stabbed its back as it sank its teeth into my leg. I didn't expect it to feel like scissors separating a chunk of my flesh. My leg folded and I awkwardly stabbed at the thing at close range. I felt my blood puddling under me and the tiles grew slick.

At length I pushed the mouse away again, and it sat feet away waiting to attack again. It looked almost as bloody as I did, but it had so much more fight left. I could barely sit up. I waved my spear whenever it started forward. I'd gotten what I'd asked for. It was the thrill of a lifetime. I wouldn't top this in the rest of my life.

* * *

Tillo POV

"Here's the plan," Hunter began. He'd tried to talk us out of attacking the Careers, but we'd stood firm. We would have to face them eventually. Better now than when they'd already picked half of us off. Our determination, though not enough to overwhelm their training, might give us the edge we needed. We had to strike while the iron was hot. However, we also had to do it right to have any chance. We'd agreed to wait until lights out. The Careers would sleep with one eye open, but those five seconds of surprise could turn the tide.

"Shogo and I have the training, and Reiner knows some too," Hunter said. "We're going to be the main offensive. Felix and Tillo, we need you to watch our backs. We'll approach the stairs and scout for enemy lookouts. When the coast is clear, we'll advance down the stairs two at a time, in case they see us and we need to form a bottleneck on the stairs. While Reiner and I advance first, Shogo will attempt to take out the lookout with his hasta. There's no room for honor here. As soon as we can, we'll all attack our primary target. That will be Kisarna or Mase, since Emma's arrows won't be as useful at close range. After we've eliminated the strongest Career, we'll go after the next. Don't discount Calvary- she made her choice and she's not to be underestimated- but focus on the trained Careers first. Don't take any quarter, don't consider anything "unfair", and _do not stop_ until there is no chance your opponent will recover. They will do the same."

He looked around at us, and we nodded. Shogo might have been ready for this. Even if his heart wasn't in it, he was trained to kill. I'd been trained to sew and cook and be a good wife. I didn't want any part in death and violence, but that was what had to be. Freedom never comes free. I didn't want to kill anyone, but Hunter was right. This was war, and those were the rules. It was fight or die.

* * *

Ava POV

I was dozing in the handicapped stall with Abigail and Cordin when I heard a chime. I opened the door and saw a little box with a parachute attached sitting on the sink. It seemed silly to have the parachute, since it was only six feet from the ceiling, but I supposed it was tradition. The embossed 2 on the box confirmed it was for me.

 _I have sponsors? People think_ I _have a chance?_ I opened the box and found a skinny bread roll stuffed with lettuce, ham, beef, and cheese. It looked very delicious and very fattening.

"Wow, lucky you!" Cordin said. He and Abigail had also been woken by the chime.

"We should cut it in thirds," I said. I couldn't eat in front of other people.

"It's for you," Abigail said. They kept staring at me and wouldn't let me get away, so I took a single bite. It felt like more food than I needed for a week. I felt energized, but I also felt bloated.

"I can't eat all this. Really, I'm not hungry. You guys should have it," I said. I handed it to Cordin, who took a huge bite and then looked sheepishly at Abigail. He tore it in half and gave her the unbitten piece.

"You have to eat," Abigail said. She looked almost accusatory.

"I did! I ate a whole bite," I said. I didn't even take a teeny bite. That was a big mouthful of food. I had all the energy I needed. "Any more would make me sick." Abigail looked suspicious. I appreciated the concern, but I had to stay trim. I needed to be fit so I could take care of my allies. I knew Pray was going to send more, and I'd eat a little to make her happy, but she always went overboard. Couldn't she just send a few crackers?

* * *

 **The eye is in the middle of a storm, so I fudged the title. It sounds cooler this way.**

 **17th place: Mink Abbey- savaged by a mouse mutt**

 **I had a hard time pinpointing the essence of Mink. He was a warrior, but also a thrill seeker, but also from an outlying District, since I moved him from Four. He ended up as a thrill seeker, and he certainly found his thrill. He was never really low on the polls, but he didn't get any positive votes either. He wasn't likely to improve in popularity, so he went here. He was sort of half-Career half-Tribute, so he was unique and his own person. Thanks LX4 for Mink. He had flaws I appreciated, like arrogance, and a refreshing story about adventure and thrills.**

 **Though Mink wasn't really going for accuracy, he was right about the mutt. It is in fact a mouse mutt, though the only way anyone would know is that is has a furry tail. Hysperia got witty and wanted a mutt that would be found in a real mall. It's about 1.5 times the size of the famous R.O.U.S.'es I'm sure you all thought of right away.**

 **Some of you might be concerned because Kisarna hasn't gotten a POV since the Games began (I think). Hers is coming next chapter. It fit better to wait until the focus was on the Career attack.**


	32. Attack

Kisarna POV

Calvary wasn't with Emma when she came back to the Cornucopia. Clever girl. We'd roamed the halls of the first floor looking for any stragglers or anything useful. Mixed in with all the shops was one filled with brightly colored, bean-shaped cushions and rocking couches. We were going to move our camp there as soon as we got the rest of the stuff from the Cornucopia. I gathered assorted blades and projectiles as Emma looked in the back of the structure. I heard a low burst of air and dove behind a crate of throwing knives, pulling a shruiken from my pocket. Peeking out, I saw Mase on his knees with a six-foot spear through his chest. It propped him up as he leaned against it, leaking blood from his mouth.

 _We're under attack._ Neither Emma nor I needed to say a word. She drew an arrow and scanned the clearing, searching for our assailants. They'd waited until the lights went off, removing the advantage of a clear battlefield from themselves as well as us. It had to be more than one. Anyone familiar with such a deadly weapon would know they needed allies to attack us. It had to be Shogo and his allies. Hunter was probably with them. He'd slipped away at the Bloodbath, and Mase fully intended to make him pay. It was probably too late for him.

Emma cautiously stood up an inch to see farther, and immediately something smashed against her head. She fell back down, careful to land behind the cover of a potted plant. Two forms charged toward me in the darkness. I threw my star at the closest one. It landed in the form's chest. There was a masculine cry, but the figure kept coming. It tackled me as I pulled out another star. I shoved the star at its throat as its weight pressed down on me, forcing the shruiken into my hand. At such close range, I saw my attacker was Hunter, and I knew I was in for a fight. The boy behind Hunter hovered over us, obviously wanting to help his ally but afraid to get in his way.

Hunter slammed his knee into my stomach, trying to damage my internal organs. I'd been trained against that, and I knew to tense my abdominal muscles. It still hurt, but I forced past it and sawed the shruiken across Hunter's throat, spraying blood everywere. When he reeled back, I stuck it into his eye and shoved him off me. He seemed to lose all will to fight and started clawing at the air while gurgling horribly. It didn't make any sense- a trained Career could still fight, or at least not panic. I didn't have time to think about it. I ran to Emma's aid as the boy behind Hunter bent over him.

* * *

Hunter POV

I screamed as loudly and terribly as I could without a bit of shame. I knew at least one of us was going to die. I wanted to attack first not only because it was strategic. I wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mike and Gemm would never go through this. When my time came, I had resolved to make it as fearful as possible. After seeing me reduced to a quivering, mewling heap, they'd never set foot in the Academy again. Kisarna outfought me, despite my genuine efforts. Perhaps she simply wanted life more than I did. I felt bad for Reiner, bending over me and trying to make me comfortable. It didn't hurt as much as I made it sound like. I mostly felt tired. In the last moments I felt redemption. I'd stolen my own future from myself, but I'd given it back double to Mike and Gemm. I hoped they made more of it that I did.

* * *

Emma POV

Hunter's gang was smart. They knew I wasn't as dangerous at close range. They also had to know that I wasn't only good at one weapon, and that their advantage wasn't prodigious. Kisarna and I stood back to back, fighting off the snipes of Felix and Tillo. I'd never imagined they were so fierce. I didn't see anger or fear in the girl's eyes, just the determination of a desperate hunter. With all my training, I didn't know how this would end.

Already we were outnumbered two to one. When I saw another figure on the stairs, I acted. I had a dagger in one hand, and I crouched low, grabbed a nearby javelin, and threw it at the figure. It sank into his side and he leaned over, stopped at least for the moment. The boy from Ten turned at his cry and ran to help, even as the wounded boy waved him off. When the hunter girl saw the numbers change, she retreated to the side of the boy bent over Hunter. Kisarna took advantage of the moment and bolted. With Mase dead, the best strategy was to run. I almost ran after Kisarna, but we weren't an alliance anymore. Three Careers are a pack. Two are competition. I ran down a different corridor, weaving and dodging. It wasn't a fight I could win alone. Even a Career doesn't remain in a Bloodbath where she's the target.

* * *

Mase POV

 _I_ was supposed to be the one to deal life and death. I wasn't supposed to be the one whose life was snuffed out at another's behest. This was the only thing I was really afraid of. Death was my only enemy. It came for me, and there was no escape.

* * *

 **16th place: Mase Nary- speared by Shogo (he died before Hunter despite the order of their POVs)**

 **Mase was more a villain, so you all were never likely to pick him. Hunter's gang was bound to kill at least one Career, and Mase was the lucky winner. I don't often get Careers that are actually like the ones in the books, so Mase was helpful. I appreciate people making their Careers non-cliche, but we're supposed to not like Careers, so it's nice to have one we can hate. Thanks Ludy5 for Mase. Even though you didn't submit him as totally odious, he was mean enough that he could serve as our default villain.**

 **15th place: Hunter Duchen- face obliterated by Kisarna**

 **Hunter was reasonably popular. He wasn't popular enough to win, and his submitter mentioned that if he died he would make sure his siblings didn't volunteer. Since he had that middle ground of popularity, I killed him in a way that was a pyrrhic victory. He came to peace with his fate and bent it to his will. Thanks Annietreasure for Hunter. He wasn't perfectly good or perfectly evil, so he let me show that people can contradict themselves. He made the Games work for him.**

 **Never fear for Hadley! This chapter was taken up by the Career battle, but I have her on my list.**

 **Shogo was significantly wounded by Emma. His placing is still in your hands, but I don't want to ask you for negative votes. Suffice to say that unless he gets a lot of support in the reviews for this chapter, your silence will shout.**


	33. Priorities

Hadley POV

Whatever was making all the commotion downstairs, it probably involved the Careers, and that was the perfect opportunity. Skyler and I had managed to sneak upstairs last night, but we still needed a camp. I jumped when the first cannon went off. _Please let it be one of them._

There was just enough light to read the signs over the storefronts. We looked inside all of them, even the ones that seemed useless. It was a mixed bag. The bath suds store was fully stocked, but the sink that was inside for some reason didn't work. So far the only water we'd drunk was the liquid inside a row of floating candles on display. The fruit I'd gathered was down to half an orange, and we were getting pretty hungry.

Another cannon sounded, and all I could think was that I was that much closer to home and bringing my family together. I looked ahead at the next store and saw it didn't have a name, just a drawing of a weird dragon. It was curled in on itself like a knot, and it only had two legs. A fancy flower was over its head. I stepped inside.

All around the walls were clear cube-shaped cases filled with little balls. In the dim light, I could just make out that they were different colors. What on earth would someone do with all these balls?

I picked one up and examined it. It was covered with foil that was twisted on both ends. When I brought it closer to see if there was anything written on the foil, a wonderful smell greeted me. It couldn't be. I didn't dare to hope as I pulled at the foil, freeing the ball.

That was no ball. It was _chocolate._

Suddenly all the chaos and pain downstairs vanished. I popped the ball into my mouth. If the Gamemakers poisoned it, so be it. I had to eat eventually. A thin chocolate shell cracked under my teeth and released a flood of delicious, mind-blowingly yummy caramel. I'd only had caramel once, when Olivan got a raise and sent me a package full of candy. I wanted to scream, it was so good.

"It's chocolate!" I cried to Skyler. She grabbed one from the nearest container and gobbled it down. Her face lit up and we joined hands, dancing around the store and fishing out different-colored balls from whatever container caught our eye. I tasted peanut butter and plain chocolate and a dozen different flavors I'd never tasted before. We hugged and threw handfuls of candies in the air and laughed like a pair of fools. Life couldn't be better.

* * *

Shogo POV

Reiner held a dish towel to my wound as I lay on the floor of our camp. Getting me there hadn't been easy. Ideally I would have stayed still, but Emma and Kisarna could have come back at any time, so Reiner and Felix dragged me carefully back to the candle shop, leaving a trail of blood that Tillo mopped up. It was clear I'd lost more than I could handle, and things didn't look good.

"You'll be okay," Reiner said. "You have tons of supporters. They'll send you medicine."

"What are you talking about? It's not _real._ I'll be back on the set tomorrow," I said with a fake smile. Reiner smiled back shallowly.

I couldn't win. If I killed to get back to my son, how could he ever love me? If I died, he'd go to the orphanage. I wanted what was best for him, and that would cost me my soul. I would give anything for Kanu. Why did it have to be that? I pulled Reiner closer and whispered so the cameras couldn't pick it up.

"Live or die, you will be my last friends," I whispered. My eyes filled and everything poured out in a rush. "I can't die for any of you. I have to get back to him." There was no hope for me. I would never know peace or friendship. All I had was my love for Kanu. I was willing to kill anyone I had to in order to save him, and that meant I already had no soul. Loving something more than anything always required you not to love others. I wouldn't blame them if they stopped caring for me, but I knew Reiner never would. He was a better man than me. I would still kill him if I had to, and the knowledge crushed my heart.

* * *

Tillo POV

Hunter was gone and Shogo was possibly dying. I should have told Reiner to let him go. There was no room for heroism here. If I died, Puridee would be a slave worse off than I had been. I'd freed myself when I volunteered, and I was never going back. Long ago, there were slaves in Panem, forced to work by anti-government fascists. They'd done whatever it took to take back their freedom, whether it was running through the woods or throwing themselves into a foaming river. I was running away North, just like they had. For me and Puridee to be free, every one of them had to die. Everyone else in the Games were the obstacles in my way. I'd stand by those in my alliance, but we couldn't show mercy to anyone else.

I thought of the ones who had already died. Lyte, and Gordon bearing down on him. They were shackles on my legs and a whip on my back. Mase was my domineering husband, forcing his way into my life and my body. The others couldn't be friends anymore. They couldn't be people, or I wouldn't be able to do what I had to do. They had to be nothing but attackers on my freedom and Puridee's. I had to value liberty above all else and fight for it. I wouldn't mind dying here and dying free if it wasn't for Puridee. Every drop of blood I shed and every cannon I set in motion was on their heads. They were the ones that enslaved me. Let them reap what they sowed.

* * *

Calvary POV

Based on the sounds coming from the Cornucopia, the Careers weren't the instigators. I heard Emma cry out and hoped that if she went it was quick. I'd kill her without remorse if I got the chance, but she wasn't the cold killer One Tributes would have you believe. She hadn't shot me in the back. That was more than I could say for her.

I had my sickle and my knife in my pocket, plus a peach I'd taken when Emma and I went to sweep for Tributes, but there weren't any water bottles in the Cornucopia. The juice from the peach only went so far, and if I didn't get water in the next few hours, I'd be too dehydrated to go on. I almost cried out in frustration when I passed a furniture store. I'd gone by two furniture stores, eight clothes stores, a bookstore, and a kitchen supply store, all of which proved useless. By that time I was nearly crawling. I wanted to lay down in the hall and give up.

The next door was framed with bright streamers and filled with toys. I lay down my head and cried, though no tears came out. It was as good a place to die as any. I pulled myself inside and looked at all the wonderful toys only Capitol kids ever got. There were pink stuffed horses and glittery tiaras, plastic cars and maddening pretend food sets. I pulled a yellow rubber duck from a rack and squeaked it in final amusement. Something beside it caught my eye.

On a shelf marked "bath toys", beside a hairbrush and a fish with a crank on its back, was a rectangular box with a red plastic bottom. It was filled with tiny rings lying next to a grid of semicircular hoops. There were two buttons on the front, but I didn't give a rat's butt what they did. When I grabbed the rubber duck, my hand brushed the shelf and the box stirred. It _rippled._ That thing was full of water.

I knocked the box off the shelf and smashed it against the metal supports. I was so weak it barely made a sound. Panic set in and I started banging it against the ground, then clawing at it with my nails and crunching it in my mouth. My fangs broke two holes through the plastic and water trickled into my mouth. I sucked at the holes, digging tiny cuts into my lips and filling my body with liquid life. I wasn't out of the game yet.

* * *

 **No deaths, since the last poll was taken up by Shogo. The life votes outnumbered the death ones 4-1, so he lives for now. Next chapter I'll start planning deaths as usual. First, a few notes:**

 **A. All the stores I detail in the Arena are based on ones I've visited in the Mall of America, but it would be silly if they were exactly the same, so consider them similar. Last time I went there was an alpaca store, and that was James'. Hadley and Skyler are in a futuristic chocolate shop the Gamemakers thought it would be funny to leave stocked, but as the ball-shaped chocolates and the logo hint, if it _was_ a real-life store, it would be Lindt.**

 **B. I don't know how much Panem teaches about history, but I assumed that like all dictatorships, they teach anything they can twist to their agenda. Thus Tillo knows about slavery but thinks it was done by anti-government dissenters. She seems to have taken more a John Brown approach than a Harriet Tubman one, but the thirst for freedom knows few boundaries. I can't blame her.**

 **C. Only in the Hunger Games can one of those ring-catcher bath toys save your life.**

 **D. I forgot to mention that if your Tribute gets sponsored something and doesn't use it, I'll credit its value to them. That's really awkward to say, but what it means is that even though it was in character for Ava to refuse the food you wanted to send, your wishes are what matters and she won't die of starvation.**

 **For next chapter, you get the usual two votes to chime in with who definitely shouldn't die. Remember it's fine to choose your own characters, and I'll keep tabs on who's most popular and who slipped under your notice.**


	34. Second Anthem

Shogo POV

It wasn't going to happen. My insides were shredded and my lifeblood was dribbling away. Kanu was going to the orphanage. I failed as a father. I was worthless and the most wretched of men. The only thing I could give my son was my final act. It was time for my swan song. I tried to call to Reiner, but my voice was a fragile wheeze. I stirred an arm, and he came over.

"Don't let him know," I whispered. Reiner's eyes, so serious and yet so clear, looked back at mine. He nodded slightly and grinned widely.

"Great job with the fight scene. It looked _amazing._ That's a wrap! From now on, it's up to the crew to put the finished product together. Of course you'll have to go on tour. All Panem will want to see the new star! I don't imagine you'll be home for a very long time." His voice cracked on the last word.

Tillo and Felix looked up at his speech and knelt beside him.

"Great show," Felix strained out.

"Be free," Tillo whispered.

"We'll take care of everything," Reiner said. Felix and Tillo nodded, and everything that mattered was safe. With the last of my strength, I pulled myself into a comfortable position and smiled up at them.

"Great," I said. "It's been a long job. Time for me to hit the hay." They faded away, and I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _Hunter Duchen-_ Reiner POV

Hunter was a great man. He lead us faithfully, even when he could have killed half of us in our sleep. He was the first to fight and the last to put someone else in harm's way. He showed what the Academy could be if it encouraged values like honor and sacrifice. He could have made a great difference in the world. Instead, they threw him away.

* * *

 _Mase Nary-_ Ava POV

I'd outlasted two Careers already. Was I really that good? Maybe I _could_ do something worthwhile. With Abigail at my side and Cordin lighting the way, I could be more than I ever dreamed.

* * *

 _Shogo Hara-_ Tillo POV

I shouldn't have cared. He was supposed to be a block on my way to freedom. I knew he was more than that, but I couldn't let myself feel it. As Reiner sat silently, looking off at nothing, Felix quietly wept, maintaining a sad, broken smile for appearances. I didn't cry and I didn't mourn. I was what I had to be. Freedom beckoned, and I burned to answer.

* * *

 **14th place: Shogo Hara- blood loss and shock caused by spear thrown by Emma**

 **You just couldn't make up your minds on Shogo. First you all wanted him to die, and I was only keeping him around a few chapters to be realistic about his skills. Then a few of you switched boats and didn't want him to go. I gave him every chance I could, because I didn't want to be hasty and I wanted to be sure of what you wanted. Weighing his popularity, I concluded he fluctuated, but he'd never be your pick for Victor. I called it, and I let him go. I was Team Shogo myself, but from the start I had this planned in things didn't go well. As soon as I saw in his form that he told Kanu he was going off to be an actor, I planned his whole arc based on the film Life is Beautiful. He was the method actor to end all method actors. Even dying he kept character. I didn't think Shogo was overpowered or a Marty Stue. He was trained because he was from Four and had a tiger mother. Everything he did was what a dad does for his son. Thanks YesmylordCiel for Shogo. He provided one of my favorite arcs and I was truly sad to have to let him go.**


	35. Predator

Felix POV

People are dying. Something happened to me when the blood started flowing and the Careers started fighting back. Back when I was little, a few of the other boys used to pick on me for being related to a former Peacekeeper. I was always a strong child, and one day I'd had enough. Something snapped and I did things I'd tried not to think about since. No one died, but it wasn't because I pulled back. It was like I craved their blood, and I didn't want to be that person. They called me "Carnivore" after that, though never to my face. I only stayed popular because they were too scared to tell people what I was.

Now, in the Arena, I felt it coming back. I didn't know who I really was anymore. I wanted to be sweet and caring, like I was before I was Reaped, but maybe I was the Carnivore all along. I looked around at my allies and knew there were lines I never needed to worry about crossing. They were my friends, and I'd defend them with all I had. For Tillo I know I'd die. For Reiner... I didn't know.

I always hated my Peacekeeper blood. It was so far removed, since Grandpa quit ages ago, but it never left me. I felt its restless ghost whispering, telling me the ways I knew how to cut someone apart like a side of beef. I wanted to cut it away, but when the time came, I didn't know how I'd react.

I tried to think of something else, and immediately Tillo was in my thoughts. I loved her determination and her fierce independence. If we'd met elsewhere, I would have loved to try to convince her to give me a chance. Someone as wounded as she was would probably never trust a man, but I'd never stop trying. I would never want her to give me any piece of her freedom, but she might agree to share a piece of her life. It would all be on her terms.

There were still two Careers left. Emma and Kisarna at least would be looking for more victims. We outnumbered them, but their skills overpowered our slim advantage. We had to fight them if we wanted to live, and I knew who I had to be to win. At the threat of death, I could feel the instincts stirring. They wouldn't be denied forever. The Carnivore was coming.

* * *

Demetria POV

Ashlyn and I ventured further into the basement. It seemed to have an underwater theme. There were fish painted on the walls and a needlessly terrifying suspended model shark that stopped my heart when I saw it frozen above my head. It was just one horror after another, and I wiped away tears as we pressed on.

The path went on into a tunnel of transparent tanks full of scummy water. It was staggering to think that this mall was so marvelous it even had an aquarium, but that's what it was. The water was full of dust and debris, and the few fish were scrawny and pale, but it was there. Even over our heads there was water.

"Now we have food," Ashlyn said. All I'd had to eat in three days was the pineapple Ashlyn grabbed at the Bloodbath. It would be hard to fish with her hatchet.

"We can't fish. There's glass," I said.

"They have to feed the fish somewhere. There must be an opening," Ashlyn said. We continued on, past a bloated black fish lazily slumped under a wooden shipwreck, some mossy rocks, and a fish with a long, skinny nose. I felt nervous for some reason, and I kept looking over my shoulders for Emma or Kisarna. A small white fish darted ahead of us, and I looked into the murky water. The light seemed to shift, and I saw something I hadn't before.

In a flash, a patch of water changed colors and grew swiftly larger. Immediately, I saw what had made me so nervous. A monster from the darkest depths was streaking toward me, already inches away from the glass. The shark was large enough to bite me in half, and row after row of jagged, haphazard teeth jutted from its mouth. The thing was smiling as it approached the barrier faster than I could blink. I knew why it chose this moment to reveal itself. The spidery crack in the glass told me everything.

I opened my mouth to warn Ashlyn, but before I could make a sound the thing burst through the glass, clamping its jaws on her shoulder as it bore her to the ground. I saw layers of muscle and bone as she cried out terrible inhuman noises. She tried to pull her hatchet from beneath it as I shrieked in panic and stood by uselessly. All rationality fled me as the shark ripped sheets of skin and flesh from her back. I finally realized I should help her and took a step forward, but she waved me off and shouted something, blood spraying from her mouth. I fell backwards and the water on my legs made me realize the tunnel was rapidly filling with water. I started forward again, sobbing and reaching out to her, but she slammed her hatchet into the ground inches from my fingers. The shark thrashed, and its eye fell on me. Its jaws curled up in a smile, and I fled, crawling and tripping through the water. As I rushed through the tunnel, I knew at any second the glass would shatter and a dozen even more horrible things would come for me. When I reached the other side, I heaved bile and fruit across the floor. I crawled behind a counter, whimpering at the fish painted on its front. I didn't move or speak for a long time.

* * *

Ashlyn POV

My flesh was in shreds. Bits of me were already in the shark. It was eating me as I thrashed and its teeth were breaking me apart. Demetria got away. It wouldn't get her. I couldn't do anything more. I wept with the pain and terror and cried out for death. When it came, I was ready.

* * *

 **13th place: Ashlyn Forrest- Eaten by shark mutt**

 **I wash my hands of this one. I inventoried the votes and Ashlyn was one of a handful of Tributes who didn't get any last chapter. I was going to have Emma or Kisarna kill her but I checked her form and saw she was set to die, if she had to go, "quite gruesome by mutt". Let no one say I don't oblige. Thanks Emberstoashes for Ashlyn. Sorry she died, I liked her too. She was grounded, kind to weaker Tributes, believable, and all around a decent girl. No one ever hated her, but the votes weren't in her favor.**

 **In Underwaterworld, as Sea Life Aquarium in the Mall of America was called when I went, really does have this giant freaky fiberglass great white shark dangling twenty feet off the ground. It also has sand tiger sharks, and that was what the mutt was. They do have the snaggly teeth, but thank Heaven they don't really smile. They also don't have creepy eyes that follow prey, nor are they smart enough to ram a crack in the glass. My mutts tend to have subtle changes from reality. I should really go crazy sometime.**

 **Don't forget your two picks. Don't let Ashlyn happen again :(**


	36. In Morti Notus

**Watch out- this chapter mentions eating disorders**

* * *

Reiner POV

Something died with Hunter and Shogo. Tillo used to be bold and full of life. Now she was ruthless. She'd seen what she needed to do to survive, and she was going to do it. She rarely spoke, and when she did, it was to Felix. She obviously cared for him, but not enough to risk her life. Something was different about Felix as well. He wasn't our lighthearted morale raiser anymore. By default, I was becoming the least harsh member of our alliance. I was becoming a third wheel as well. Our alliance was stretching thin. I had to accept that soon it would be safer for me to leave.

I volunteered to look for more supplies while Tillo and Felix were still getting up. Tillo might even want to start hunting other Tributes, and I wasn't ready yet. I didn't want my students to see the kind teacher they loved cutting down children their age. No matter what, they'd never trust me again, but I would hurt them as little as possible.

On my way, I slipped inside the kitchen store we'd passed when we fled the Bloodbath. There wasn't any food in it, just gadgets and supplies I'd never had back home. I picked up a springform pan and thought of the wonderful things I would have made if things had been different. If I do win, I already knew what my talent was going to be. It wouldn't be the same cooking for them. They were used to anything I could make. If they'd let me, I'd cook for the people who would never get cakes and cookies otherwise, but they'd never let me associate with the "street vermin". They would change me and reassemble me into whatever they wanted. No one wins the Games.

* * *

Kisarna POV

Emma could take care of everyone on the ground floor. I didn't want to cross her path again, so I moved to the second floor and continued the hunt. Disheveled storefronts and fallen merchandise proved that someone was with me. I had to watch for the remains of Hunter's alliance, but they probably retreated to the third floor to regroup. My targets were the younger Tributes. My skills didn't make me immortal. I needed to pick my battles.

Pressure in my bladder drove me to look around for a restroom. I thanked my stars that I was in the first indoor Arena in Games history. The Career pack had greatly appreciated the modern accommodations. I found the universally recognized sign and stopped before the door. Unpleasant as it was, this would be an ideal camp. As the facilities on the ground floor proved, the toilets flushed, and that meant running water. I drew a throwing star and kicked the door open, ducking behind the frame. Nothing responded, and I tipped my head inside the door, sweeping the room for attackers. I saw the tip of a sleeping bag beyond the largest stall. Then a foot appeared.

"Abigail?" Ava asked. She rounded the corner and saw me. I whipped my shruiken at her stomach and it hit her right in the solar plexus. She folded over and knelt on the ground. She grabbed something just as I followed my strike with another star below her ribs. She took out her dagger and threw it at me in desperation. It glanced off my left hand and left a deep cut. I grabbed the wound and looked at Ava. She was clearly dying, and her allies could come at any moment. Even if there were only two of them- I'd seen Abigail grab her District partner at the Bloodbath- I wasn't confident enough to continue the fight. Better to plan my battles. I didn't need any more supplies, and Ava might have enough fight to wound me if I checked closer. I felt absurdly embarrassed to do what I came to do with Ava bleeding out feet away, so I left the restroom and searched for another, eyes peeled for Ava's allies.

* * *

Ava POV

Thank heavens Abigail and Cordin were out searching for electronics stores. I couldn't even defend myself from Kisarna. She would have killed them both. I knew from the start I could never win. I couldn't do anything. I held my hand to my oozing stomach and waited to die.

"Ava! Look what I got!" Cordin said outside the door. He and Abigail entered, and Abigail ran to my side. Cordin dropped the assorted electronics he was carrying and hovered behind her.

"It doesn't matter," I said when Abigail started to examine my wounds. "I'm glad you were okay. I'm sorry I wasn't a better ally."

"What are you talking about? You were _amazing!"_ Cordin said. "We'd be dead if it wasn't for you."

"You haven't slept eight hours since the Games began. I saw you waiting up at night, guarding us," Abigail said. "You were the strongest in our entire alliance. We were blessed to have you."

I started to cry, and I didn't know what to think. I did a good job? I didn't drag them down? Cordin was shaking with sobs. He was heartbroken because of me. I _did_ make a difference.

"You found all that?" I asked him as I felt myself weaken.

"No, I got a sponsor," he said, and his eyes lit with excitement. Then his face fell again, and he took my hand.

"I don't want you to die," he said. "You're too strong to die. What are we going to do without you?" I wasn't as strong as anyone thought. Pray was probably horrified I died so easily. Poor Silver Claws.

"Don't worry. You two are stronger than you think. You're miles smarter than I am, and you build each other up. You can win. I know you can," I said. My energy disappeared and I was too weak to say anything anymore. I never did master my body and get to the weight I wanted. I never did learn to read halfway to my age level. I failed at so many things, but I succeeded at some things I never gave myself credit for. Abigail and Cordin cared for me, and they were good people. They must have seen something all along that I was only seeing now. It took me until I died to realize that I was valuable, and for the last minutes of my life, I savored the knowledge.

* * *

Abigail POV

Our chances plummeted when Ava died. I chided myself for the thought. Ava was a wonderful, fragile, selfless girl. It wasn't a tragedy because it affected us. It was a tragedy because she was gone. Circumstances demanded that I mourn her quietly, but I saluted her when she died, and Cordin joined me. We were on our own, and all we had was each other.

The Gamemakers couldn't collect Ava until we left, and whoever killed her was nearby, so we had to move camp anyway. With our newfound supplies, we decided to move up, closer to the ceiling and the backstage electronics. We set up shop in a jewelry store and set out our supplies.

The Gamemakers either didn't know how creative Three could be or they were encouraging it. It was easy to gather a handful of screws, three different kinds of wire, the circuitry for the lights from a dress shop, parts from the fan in another, rubber gloves, and a lighter. With the screwdriver and battery Cordin had been sponsored, the Arena was at our mercy.

I couldn't begrudge Cordin his emotions. I missed Ava too, and I felt everything he did. Even though we had to press on, my heart wasn't in it.

"You ready to get started?" I asked with an artificially perky smile. Cordin knew I was faking, and he mirrored my ersatz cheer.

"What should we do? Turn off all the lights?" he asked.

"I don't know if I want it to be dark all the time," I said. I wasn't afraid of monsters under the bed, but in the Arena, there are things better kept in the light.

"Then what should we do?" he asked.

"I have an idea," I said.

* * *

 **12 place: Ava Hanson- blood loss from Kisarna's shruiken**

 **Ava wasn't submitted to win. Her submitter already had a Victor in my Games (our beloved Peppermint) and she sent Ava as almost an anti-Career. I kept her this long because she was skilled and in a solid alliance. Even though this is just fan fiction, I took Ava's anorexia very seriously and tried to keep it accurate. She didn't suddenly get cured because Pray loved her in her own way. Her disorder also strengthened her position. I've read enough to know that anorexics are crazy dedicated. They can eat 300 calories and run five miles a day. I can't seem to bring myself to write a completely unhappy ending. Ava wasn't cured and she died thinking much less of herself than she should, but she did see she was at least not worthless. Thanks Ultimatemaxmericashipper for Ava. She made us think and she showed that some people never escape their demons fully, but there's always hope.**


	37. Halfway There

Pray POV

That girl. That girl had the fire. She had the skills. She had the drive. Why couldn't she see any of that? I gave her everything I could. She could have won if she'd ever reached for it. She was so sure she'd fail she never tried. Ava was unfathomable. Was she ever happy? I hoped that in the end she found peace.

* * *

District Two POV

It was a shameful year for Two. First Career District out of the Game. Mase was a jock and Avariella was a freak. They were never going to let us hear the end of this next year. Avariella's parents continued supporting the Academy, looking to sponsor a future Victor. It was like they didn't even remember their daughter, and the rest of us would like to forget this year's Tributes as well.

* * *

Skyler POV

In the last twenty-four hours, I'd eaten more types of chocolate than I'd eaten types of food in my life. If all Panem got to eat this, no one would ever be sad again. My very favorites were the white ones with crunchy chocolate bits. It wasn't the healthiest, but we wouldn't be here long enough for that to matter.

"How much longer do you think the Game will be?" I asked Hadley. She was getting tired of our supplies a little quicker than I was, and she was sitting down with a hand on her stomach.

"It's half over now. There are only twelve left. It will probably take longer to get down much farther, since the stronger Tributes are left," she said. I gathered some fallen wrappers and sat by a case of green-wrapped chocolates.

"What are you going to do if you win?" I asked.

"First thing I'll do is see my dad and Olivan," she said.

"Yeah. I hope you can," I said.

"I hope you get to go home too," she said. Even though I knew only one of us could go home, I knew we were both sincere. We both wanted to go home together, even if it wasn't possible.

"Do you think we could really win?" I asked. Hadley looked out the door.

"I shouldn't have volunteered. If I win, it will be a fluke. It was a stupid mistake."

Hadley was stronger than I was. If she was scared for herself, I should be terrified. It didn't seem possible to imagine I could die. It was so far off. All we had was the present, and all I could do was enjoy however much time I had left.

A parachute floated down outside the shop door. I leaped up with a squeal and nabbed it, bringing it back next to Hadley.

"I hope it's chocolate," Hadley said, and we both burst out laughing. It had a five on it, so I opened it. Inside was a short sword with a chain on the end, just like the one I trained with. I didn't think I could ever bring myself to use it on a person, but Soleil obviously wanted me to try. I took it out to test its weight and saw something rolling around on the bottom of the box. When Hadley and I realized what it was, we had to laugh again. It was a pair of toothbrushes.

* * *

Demetria POV

I might as well stay put and die. Ashlyn was gone. I saw the shark tear her apart. If she could go that easily, there was no hope for me. The next person I ran across would kill me, and there was nothing I could do. I was going to die.

"Mom? Dad? I love you. I love you, Mayzie. Don't let her watch," I said to the cameras I couldn't see. I wanted to run across the Arena from the horrible aquarium, but to run away I'd have to run in front of it. Then I'd be able to see it. The entire basement wasn't flooded, so the Gamemakers must have repaired the glass. I couldn't get within sight of it. I would see that shark smiling at me.

My stomach ached and my throat was sore with thirst. Without Ashlyn, I didn't know how I was going to find supplies. Maybe that was for the best. If I died of thirst, it wouldn't hurt like if one of the others found me. I didn't have to move at all. I could just stay here and fade away. Mom and Dad wouldn't understand at first. Then they'd see I was doing the best thing I could.

"It's best this way," I said. I curled up on the thin carpet and watched the tiles on the ceiling above me. Then a chime interrupted me. It was coming from under the counter. I sat up and pulled at the cupboard underneath where the cash register would be. Inside the cupboard was a safe. The chime was coming from inside, so I pulled at the door. It was unlocked, and inside the safe there was a chocolate cupcake with pink frosting and blue and green flower-shaped sprinkles. Beside it was a glass of milk, and under the cupcake was a note.

 _You must be really hungry! Ta-da!- Chimera_

It must be so simple to be a Capitolite. Chimera couldn't understand that for me, the best option might be the least painful death. He was just worried that I might get hungry. It was all so absurd I burst out crying. I didn't want a cupcake. I wanted to live. It was all Chimera could do for me, and I loved him for trying. I didn't think anyone would want to sponsor me. Something sparked inside me, and I felt a bit of hope again. I took the cupcake and bit into it. The frosting was airy and wonderfully pillowy, and the cake was moist and squishy. It was so good I was happy I hadn't starved to death.

* * *

Calvary POV

The Games were progressing. Only half of us were left. I was roaming the second floor, looking for either a fight or something useful, when I saw a smear of blood all along the wall of a store filled with makeup. It led to a hole that could only have been made by claws. That was enough for me. I turned around to leave and heard the scrambling that told me I was too late.

A grotesquely huge mouse thing was charging up the aisle at me, its claws clicking on the tile floor. Whatever it was, it had already killed one Tribute. I was its next meal.

"Oh, no, no _no!"_ I yelled as I ran the other way. I knocked everything off the shelves as I went, hoping to slow it down. It ran over the lipsticks and blushes and continued its advance. I saw I couldn't outrun it and turned to give it the fight it wanted. When it was just feet away I kicked my foot into its eye, using its speed as well as mine to strengthen the blow. It squealed and reared back, snapping at my leg. I hopped onto the counter and struck downward with my sickle, puncturing its back. The mouse tried to haul itself after me, but it couldn't get itself up on the counter. I hit it again and again with the sickle, opening huge slashes and hitting bone at least once. Finally the mutt fell flat and started to limp away.

"No you _don't!"_ I yelled after it. I hopped off the counter and slashed at its head with my sickle. It snapped weakly at me and tried to slash me, but I cut at its legs and didn't stop striking until it was completely still. I was covered in blood when it was done, but none of it was mine. I exulted in the victory, thinking back to all the times Dustin and I had done the same back home. In another Arena, I'd have food now, but there was enough here to go without mouse meat. I kicked its carcass and left the store. There was nothing left for me there.

* * *

 **I have someone set to die next chapter, so be sure to vote in case I have to switch victims. I also have Cordin set to have a POV, since he hasn't for a while. That may or may not be related...**


	38. Make Some Noise

Cordin POV

My stomach fluttered as I crawled next to Abigail in the ducts above the third-story stairwell. We'd pushed up the tiles over a bench and pulled ourselves up into the crawlspace, looking for our target. We found it in the center of the Arena, perched over the gap between all the staircases. It was a logical place, since it could easily send sound throughout the entire mall. Abigail pulled herself next to it and started fiddling with its wires.

The intercom system was a simple but powerful microphone wired to smaller mics in every store in the mall. The central microphone would only be used in emergencies or scenarios when everyone in the building had to be reached at once. Abigail and I were about to make ourselves heard.

I set to work pulling the fist-sized microphone in next to us and messing with it until I got it to turn on. The work almost made me forget about Ava. My heart stuttered when I thought about how many people had already died. I wanted to get back and help everyone else in the orphanage, but all the other Tributes wanted to get home too. Anything could happen.

Abigail laid out our supplies and selected our makeshift tuning fork. It was a rough fork of aluminum from a toy soldier, pounded as hard as we could get it with a toy hammer. She carefully took a bundle of cloth out of her shirt and unwrapped a thin glass goblet. She held the fork next to it and started tapping the metal with a nail. With each tap, she raised the nail, and on her sixth try the glass shattered. She marked the spot on the fork and I I picked a large metal bowl out of our supplies. I laid it in top of the microphone.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Ready," she said. She turned the volume on the microphone as high as it would go. We wrapped the jackets we'd taken around our ears. I held the bowl over the microphone and she slid the tuning fork underneath it. She hit her mark as hard as she could with the nail.

Sound burst from the microphone in a deafening blare, shaking the crawlspace underneath us. Even through the fabric and under the drone, I heard a high, tinny noise. It was just like Acee said. Everything was a weapon. Even the Arena.

* * *

Kisarna POV

With Ava gone, Emma and Hunter's allies were my main competition. I had to find the others- the girl from Five and her ally, and the little girl from Eight. I'd searched hours without a trace of them. They must have been on the third floor. I ascended the stairs and roamed the halls.

Something like movement caught my eye, and I stopped in front of the clear front of a store filled with plastic dolls. It was hard to tell if it was just the light glancing off the glass, and I peered closer.

Just then a cataclysmic, thundering boom ripped through my ears, jarring my bones and sending pain shooting through my eardrums. I clapped my hands to my ears and leaned forward against the noise, screwing my eyes shut. Then a million stabbing needles ripped through my skin, and I reeled back. I opened bleeding eyelids to see the shattered remains of a glass door, a large chunk of which was now embedded in my skin. My screams sounded flat and muffled as I staggered back, blood streaming from a thousand cuts. One of my hands was hardly attached anymore, and the stump shot out blood like a tidal wave. Every move sent the glass deeper into my tissue, and I fell onto my back, convulsing in pain.

I knew I shouldn't have volunteered. I had more chance than I ever admitted, but look where it got me. Arien always told me I was the smart one. I wasn't smart enough to get out of this.

* * *

Tillo POV

My hearing was just starting to come back after that awful noise an hour or so back. It sounded like there might have been a cannon shortly after, but we weren't sure. On the bright side, the piles of shattered glass proved invaluable in making weapons. I'd been trying to throw them like a discus with moderate success.

I found myself spending more and more time apart from Felix and Reiner. We couldn't be together forever. Those two were the only ones safe from my wrath, but I didn't know how much longer I could spare Reiner. Lately whenever he turned his back I saw an opportunity to get one step closer to freedom. I'd sworn to stay loyal to my allies, and I would, but it was best to avoid temptation. Also, I didn't want them to know, but I was starting to look for the others. If I was going to win, they had to die. I couldn't say someone else would kill them or try to keep my hands clean. I'd do it quickly and mercifully, if that was even possible. I couldn't sacrifice myself and Puridee for any of them.

I turned a corner and Emma was right there. She was ten feet away from me, and as soon as she saw me she grabbed for an arrow. In an instant, I shot forward and slammed into her, knocking her back before she could draw. I drew my dagger as I went and aimed it at her heart. She batted my arm aside and punched me in the nose. My eyes watered and I leaned in even closer, doing anything to keep her arrows out of her reach. I bit her cheek and clamped down until I felt flesh splitting. She grabbed my knife hand and tried to pin it to the ground. I strained down back at her and the knife hovered over her ribs.

"Tillo!" Felix shouted behind me. My concentration wavered for a heartbeat and Emma brought her knee up under my ribs, knocking my breath away. She shoved me off her and darted around the corner. By the time I got up and looked after her, she was out of sight.

"I had her!" I said, waving Felix off as he tried to help me up.

"You mean... _you_ attacked _her?"_ Felix said. "I thought you needed help."

"There is no help here. You can't afford to help me," I said. I looked after Emma again. She was probably still running. We'd never catch her. I looked at Felix and felt my heart break when I saw the care in his eyes.

"I mean it when I say I could never hurt you. But you can't believe me. Please, don't ask me to care about you. I don't have room for you," I said. I meant half of it and didn't mean the other. I did love Felix, but not more than my freedom. I wanted to hurt him and drive him away. The last thing in the world I wanted was to be with him in the final two. I knew how I'd respond. Something almost like acceptance flickered in Felix's eyes. They mirrored the anger and ferocity in mine, something I'd never seen in Felix.

"Go away," I said with all the coldness I could muster. Felix seemed to change somehow, and I knew I'd done my job. He turned away and ran. I hoped I'd never see him again, and I loved him more than I'd ever say.

* * *

 **11th place: Kisarna Talent- blood loss due to massive lacerations caused by Abigail and Cordin**

 **Kisarna had the moves, and she could have won if we were judging purely on skill. She didn't get enough votes, and she was never a top pick for you all. I had this death lined up for someone. It was just a matter of who you selected. I haven't gone in exact order of popularity since that would ruin the suspense, but this ended up being a good place to do her in. I liked Kisarna. Her personality in her profile was almost nebulous for me, but I got that she was quiet, strategic, underconfident, and competent. I did my best and I would have been happy if Kisarna won. Thanks Kkfanatic for Kisarna. She wasn't the oddly merciful Career I usually get, but she also wasn't a monster. She was professional and competent. She showed that Careers aren't always villains, but they're usually killers.**

 **I have no idea if any of that stuff Abigail and Cordin did was remotely realistic. It sounded like a cool idea and I'm not a genius from Three, so I rolled with it.**

 **Keep on telling me who's next by telling me who's _not_ next, and add a sponsor gift if you want. Emma's wounds aren't crippling, just letting you know.**


	39. Smoke them Out

Jonah Breaker POV

I didn't always drown my losses in alcohol and morphling, but Shogo was too much. Kisarna was a great girl too, but Shogo was one of the ones that would haunt me. I felt sick living in a District that would leave him alone on the stage. He deserved so much better.

District Four POV

One good thing came of all this. The second the Capitol caught wind of Shogo's ploy, they were hooked. Millions of weeping men and women cried out to the heavens when he died. Before he left the Bloodbath there was a waiting list hundreds of names long waiting for a chance to apply to adopt Kanu if Shogo died. The networks ate it up and ran a record-setting show. "Kanu's Journey: Finding the Perfect Parents" was avidly watched by 86% of the Capitol, according to polls, and with all those people watching, the selection board actually had to care. He went home with two parents who may have been ditzy, but their hearts were in the right place. They thought it was just too tragic to tell Kanu, so they planned to keep up the charade as long as possible. In dying, Shogo provided his son with more than he could have even as a Victor. Kanu would never have his name in the Reaping bowl. In all the fuss, it was easy to overlook Kisarna, but her father and Arien didn't. Arien still swore she was the stronger of them, and they lived a quieter and more lonely life.

* * *

 _Avariella Hanson-_ Abigail POV

All the people knew about Ava was her upbringing and her reputation. Ava was so much more than a Career. She was the strength of our alliance and a sister who would have died for us. Seeing her battle her demons and being powerless to help her was heartbreaking. She deserved peace. She deserved life more than anyone in her District.

* * *

 _Kisarna Talent-_ Emma POV

I was the last Career left. Time to cut the crap and clear the Arena. They were easy prey except Calvary and Hunter's friends. I could be home in two days. The end was inevitable. I'd stop giving them false hope and end the Game.

* * *

Ashlyn POV- Demi POV

She should have been here with me. She should have had a cupcake too. Everywhere I turned the thing flashed in my head and her blood sprayed from her. I'd never stop hearing her screams. Even in sleep I found no peace. She died again and again, all night long.

* * *

Abigail POV

It was our sixth day in the Arena. With Kisarna gone, Emma was the only Career left. The outliers might have a chance, or she might cut us down without pause. Cordin and I were still in the crawlspace, so we were safe for the moment, but conflict was inevitable.

"Look!" Cordin cried from ahead of me. He squirmed around and held out a parachute. It obviously hadn't been used, since the crawlspace was two feet high, but the parcel underneath was just as real. He took off the top and took out a paper scroll. I wiggled next to him as he unrolled it. It was a map of the Arena, showing three floors and a basement I'd never noticed. We were poring over it when a voice interrupted us.

" **Attention, Tributes! To celebrate your wonderful showing so far, we will be hosting a feast at the Cornucopia, starting now. Many of you probably think you already have what you need. I assure you, you'll find our invitation irresistable."**

"What do you think that means?" Cordin asked. I definitely didn't want to leave our roost and risk the other Tributes attacking. Then an acrid smell hit my nose, and I saw what the Gamemakers meant. The crawlspace was filling with smoke.

* * *

Cordin POV

"Come on!" I urged Abigail as she scooted behind me. The smoke was streaming after us, stinging my lungs. The metal under my hands wasn't getting any warmer, proving that this was no natural fire. I tumbled down a drop in the crawlspace and clawed closer to our entry hole. I heard Abigail cry out behind me and looked over my shoulder.

"Cordin!" she cried. When she hit the bottom of the drop the crawlspace must have partially collapsed, because her leg was sticking out of a warped hole and she was dangling over the open Arena. "I'm stuck! Help me!"

I started to crawl back, but something horrible stopped me. It wasn't the smoke that clogged my throat. It was the truth. If Abigail went home, I didn't. If I went home, I could make a difference for Telle and Cable and all the other kids in the home. As a Victor, I could give them everything they needed. I couldn't throw all that away. The smoke grew thicker, and fear and regret mingled in me.

"I'm sorry," I said, and I left her behind. She called my name once, and I heard her coughing. I reached the hole and dropped out. The smoke was gathering in the stores as well. Clearly it was pushing me to the Cornucopia. Nothing was ever going to be all right again. I'd made my choice and I could never be forgiven.

* * *

Abigail POV

 _He left me._ Cordin, the heart and soul of our alliance, left without me. Panic bubbled within me as I pulled at my leg, leaving bloody scratches. The metal bit into it and refused to let it go. My lungs burned and I coughed out almost all the air I sucked in. There were no weapons this time. Maybe Acee would have found a way out, but I was trapped. Dad wouldn't get his operation, but we'd see each other again soon. I tried to remember if I'd mentioned him to Cordin as smoke dulled my thoughts. Surely I had. Maybe he'd remember, and I wouldn't have to meet him just yet.

* * *

 **10th place: Abigail Fuse- smoke inhalation**

 **Two inevitabilities came together to make Abigail's fate: Cordin was set to abandon his allies and Abigail didn't get enough votes. It will be interesting to see what this does to his popularity. You had me floundering with Abigail. One chapter she gets four votes, the next none. She had two this chapter, but we're far enough in that it wasn't enough. Abigail, Cordin and Ava were like brains, soul, and body, and they were cool to write. Now only the soul is left, and he may have sold his. Thanks ThegeekytributeLLP for Abigail. If you were monitoring her popularity you probably saw this coming, but Abigail was cool. She was believable and bold, bold enough to put her life on the line for her father. Panem is worse off without her.**

 **Obviously, there's a feast next chapter. I can tell you now that the kid gloves are coming off. Your votes are going to be more important than ever. This isn't going to be a single-death feast.**

 **Oops, forgot Four's epitaphs. Now they're here.**


	40. Final Eight Interviews

Polyphemus Ignotus POV

"Good morning, Panem! It's that time again. Time for the final eight interviews!"

"In an odd twist, the only inner-District interview we have is with Niel and Gabrielle Wolfe. Mr. And Mrs. Wolfe, are you surprised by Emma's performance?" I asked.

"We knew our little princess would excel," Mrs. Wolfe said. "She was trained for nothing less."

"If only she was more confident," Mr. Wolfe added. "She always weighs herself down. Keep going, sweetie. You're doing great."

A swarm of children mobbed me when I entered Cordin's orphanage. Two of them grabbed my mic and started right in.

"Keep going, Cordin! Come back soon and tell us a story!" one said. They started squabbling over the microphone and I slipped away. It was simply overwhelming in there.

Tyran and Nicil were much more well-mannered. Mrs. Dacher corralled them as I asked Mr. Dacher what had been the hardest thing about all their time apart.

"Knowing she's going to die," he said as he glared daggers at me. I needed a new writer.

"Tell Hadley her father is stable, please," Mrs. Kinneth said. Our makeup artists could only do so much, and her exhaustion showed through her perfect skin. "We'll be fine. Just come home."

It wasn't often I interviewed a Peacekeeper from Seven. Of course he wasn't really from Seven, but it was still odd. He may have been an old man, but he was a soldier through and through.

"That boy needs to buck up and stop playing," he said. He poked the air with his finger. "Eliminate the threat and neutralize him." Next I got to go to a pretty young lady, who told Reiner she loved him and urged him to come home soon for "the wedding". _He'll_ have sponsors now.

Tillo's parents declined to be interviewed, saying there had been a mistake. They didn't have a daughter. Obviously, that was ridiculous, but they were clearly going to give a horrible interview anyway, so we passed them by.

Demetria's family was all crying, except her confused sister Mayzie, who was walking back and forth trying to cheer them up.

"Please leave us alone," her father said.

"Ten is the last District without an elimination. How do you feel about that?" I asked Mr. Veaux.

"I don't care. We just wanted to do honest work and live honest lives," he said. His wife shushed him and forced a smile.

"Good job, Felix! Keep your spirits up," she said.

"You can do it," Marsellus said. At least he seemed to mean it.

"You wanna sell me something? I ain't buying," Dustin said when I knocked at the "door" of his shack.

"No! I'm here to interview you," I said. Surely that would perk him up.

"That's even worse," he sneered. "Let me see. Calvary is an inspiration to us all and I just knew she'd come this far. No, no, how about this? You go, Calvary! Show them what for! Whatever you do, don't _die and leave me alone,"_ he finished, and he slammed the door in my face.

This wasn't the best year of interviews. The sound people will be working overtime patching together something halfway decent. At least my work is done. Let them deal with the rest.

* * *

 **Most of that didn't make it on the air. Tillo's family "appeared" as a cobbled together series of artificial voices and CGI.**


	41. Feast

Emma POV

I was the first one at the Cornucopia, and the feast was bountiful. Of the two feasts in previous years, one was poisoned and one was plentiful. I didn't need any food, so I wasn't going to sample anything on the tables. There were cakes and pastries, as well as jugs of fizzy fruit water and punch with lumps of sherbet floating on top. I hid in the Cornucopia to wait for the others.

My arrow was already aimed before I noticed the newcomer was Calvary. It had to be her. She saw me in seconds and tensed to dodge my shot. Somehow, it didn't come. I lowered my bow and waved at her.

"Want some cake?" I asked her. She narrowed her eyes and took a cautious step forward.

"I suppose this is your game to lose now," she said.

"Yeah," I said. "Hey, I know this is crazy, but I really don't want to kill you. What do you say we bury the hatchet until the feast is over? If you're watching my back, I can pick off the newcomers safely. When they're gone, we can eat some cake and then kill each other."

I could actually see her wavering internally. She glanced again at my bow, unloaded and aimed at the ground. She took out her sickle and watched me for movement. She walked around me and finally stood back-to-back with me.

"You're a crazy Career, you know that?" she said.

"You're crazy for trusting me," I said, but she heard the laugh in my voice. We stood ready for the others, indestructible together.

* * *

Skyler POV

Hadley and I ran together away from the choking smoke, herded toward the Cornucopia and the others. Maybe we'd be the first ones, and we could see what the feast had before all the killing. If all of us ganged up against Emma, we could kill the last Career and feast before the Gamemakers made us turn on each other. There was always hope.

I saw Emma squinting at us through the smoke and turned around. A gate slammed shut in the hall behind us, barring our escape. When I looked at the Cornucopia, it was impossible to see who Emma was aiming at. I could barely see her arrow through the haze. I dove to the side a second too late, and pain sprouted in my chest. Hadley jumped down beside me and shook me from behind.

"Skyler!" she yelled. "Get up!" _I tried,_ I thought weakly. The wound was fatal on its own, but I felt Emma's poison in my veins. Hadley ducked and another arrow flew over my head and caught in the mesh of the gate. She needed to get out of the way, or she'd end up like me.

"I hope you win," I said to Hadley. She squeezed my hand and started to scream as I faded away.

* * *

Calvary POV

Emma was about to launch another arrow when I saw the spear aimed at her. I nudged her and pointed it out.

"Look out!" I shouted. She instantly turned around while ducking, and the spear flew over her head. She launched an arrow at its bearer, Felix, but it stuck in the layers of jackets he was wearing. He ran at us and Emma shoved me aside. She was the better fighter, and I'd help most by watching her back as they fought. I'd never seen my old District partner like this. He looked like a merciless killer. At home, whenever I'd seen him, he was smiling and helping people. This is what the Games does.

I turned back to watch for other Tributes who would take advantage of Emma's distraction. The girl from earlier was still mourning her friend. The big boy from Seven emerged from the smoke, but he seemed more worried about Felix than eager to fight. The girl from Eight came soon after him. She saw Felix and sprang to his aid. I blocked her attack and tried to wave her off with my staff. I wanted to protect Emma, but I didn't really want to kill anyone. Let Emma take care of that.

Immediately I knew the girl might not give me that option. She slashed at my throat with a dagger and I barely blocked it with the staff of my sickle. She launched thrust after thrust in a rapid-fire blitzkrieg. It was all I could do not to die, much less worry about her safety.

She saw something over my shoulder and her composure broke. She backed up and ran around to, kneeling beside a prone Felix. Emma, who had been trying to regroup with me, drew an arrow, but the big boy aimed his spear at her and she thought better of it. She was streaming blood from her left arm and hairline, and we retreated to the other side of the Cornucopia to regroup.

* * *

Felix POV

I was the Carnivore. The others were my targets and killing was the only way. I launched myself at the final Career, brandishing the knife I'd gotten from a kitchen store. Emma couldn't pull an arrow fast enough to avoid my tackle, and her head cracked against the tile. It didn't faze her, and she brought it forward against my nose, blurring my vision and wetting my face with blood. I aimed my knife at her throat and pushed it down. She tried to bat it aside, but I was too strong, and it slashed diagonally across her shoulder. Her other arm fumbled by her arrows, and she snapped the head off one in her haste. I pulled the knife back for another strike and she dragged the arrowhead across my cheek, opening a shallow cut. She was going to have to do better than that. I pushed the knife down again, but this time she deflected it with ease. Panic set in as I noticed myself growing weaker. She pushed me off of her and got up, running toward Calvary.

I'd forgotten about the poison on her arrows. My breath grew labored and I slumped on the floor. Someone knelt by me, and I looked up into Tillo's face.

"Felix, what's wrong?" she asked. Her face, recently so harsh, showed care I never thought she was able to give me. I thought of what I'd become and was repulsed by myself. Was that my heart?

"I'm sorry. This wasn't me," I strained. I wanted to say I was a kind person, someone who wanted to love and not kill. I didn't have the strength to make her see.

"I know who you are and who I fell in love with," she said. She kissed me quickly and tenderly on the lips and drew herself up. I didn't want her to stay with me. I wanted her to be safe. She wanted her freedom, and she got to her feet and ran for cover. The warmth of her kiss stayed with me and filled me with peace until the poison took everything away.

* * *

Cordin POV

The Cornucopia was already filled with people when I finally arrived. Two bodies lay on the floor, and a trail of blood lead behind the Cornucopia. I saw Hadley tucked behind a flowerpot by one of the gates hemming us in. It was plain there would be no feasting. Except for Emma, wherever she was, we were waiting for the smoke to clear so we could flee.

When someone charged at me, I expected it to be Emma, not the quiet girl. She ran right up to me and slammed her fist into my already raw throat. I bent over, coughing and gagging. I straightened up just as her dagger was rushing toward my head. In the moment before death, I saw her face held no anger or joy, just cold determination. Whatever she was fighting for, it was greater than my shredded worth and ruined life. She didn't kill me. The guilt and shame flew away as she set me free.

* * *

Hadley POV

 _Go up. Go up. Go up. Skyler. Go up._

I pleaded with the gate that held my life in its hands, begging it to let me go. Three cannons boomed before it started to raise. I crawled under it as soon as I could fit and ran from the Cornucopia, glancing over my shoulder at Skyler's body. That just increased my panic and terror. In the moment, she was the death I cowered before, and I ran to get away from her and everything in that bloodstained area.

* * *

 **9th place: Skyler Dacher- Shot by Emma**

 **I had this feast planned before I started the Games, and I knew it was time to do some serious cutting. Skyler had few enough votes to make her vulnerable, and she was weak enough to get the axe. She wouldn't have made it this far if this wasn't a voting Games. She went quickly and easily, and that's all she could hope for. Thanks Kkfanatic for Skyler. She was a wonderful contrast to the thousand and one "emotionless and logical" Tributes I get. Sometimes Tributes are ditzy or dreamy, and that's all right. We'll miss her light touch and light heart.**

 **8th place: Felix Veaux- Poisoned by Emma**

 **Felix got a lot of votes, but I promise there's a reason. His submitter just won with Pray last year, and he was never meant to win. He got this far on popularity, but I had to kill more people here and Felix had to die eventually. He was more popular than I expected and he had a lot of character development over the Games. He and Tillo could never be, since one had to die, but he died with her and he lives on in her. Thanks Jeanthehorse98 for Felix. He was incredibly difficult to find a way to kill and he showed what the Games do to a man.**

 **7th place: Cordin Magnetism- Stabbed by Tillo**

 **You knew it was coming after he lost all your votes. Cordin was set to die by being tortured to death, but the only one left who could possibly do that was Emma, and she's not that type. He didn't die immediately, so I got as close as I could. Cordin was just a scared little boy doing what most of us would, so I can't be too mad at him. The kids at the orphanage will miss him, and so will some of us. Thanks for Cordin. You're the real hero here for saying your Tribute would be a coward and leave his allies. He was gloriously imperfect and tragically realistic.**


	42. Final Six

Acee POV

I don't know what happened to Cordin. I guess he was just a scared little boy doing what most anyone would. He and Abigail had a shot, but it was a long one. They did me proud when they blew all the glass in the Arena. That one will be talked about a long time. I only wish they were talked about because one was a Victor.

* * *

District Three POV

The orphanage didn't know what to make of it. The kids told each other Cordin was going to find something to help Abigail, but he didn't get back in time. They said he was a hero and they'd never forget him. Neither will Abigail's mother. Her father was still hovering between life and death. Soon we'll know if she lost a husband as well as a daughter.

* * *

Soleil POV

I knew Skyler couldn't hurt anyone. I didn't even want her to try. I hoped the sword would scare people off. Not when they have a bow. Of course I wanted her to live, but for her, death might be better than being a Victor. As for Gordon, I was glad he was gone. Whatever made a child grow into that must have been even worse than he was.

* * *

District Five POV

Skyler was a light and a fountain of joy. The Capitol hit us where it hurt the most. She would have cheered us up if she was here. She would have comforted her parents, but nothing could ever comfort them again. We knew what Gordon was. The blood of all those missing victims could finally rest in peace.

* * *

Reiner POV

As soon as the gates went back up everyone scattered. Emma was preoccupied with her wounds, giving us time to escape. I ran after Tillo. I wasn't sure what the state of our alliance was with Felix gone, but we'd vowed to stay together no matter what. One of us had to live.

"Hey, Tillo!" I called after her as I struggled to catch up. "Are you all right?" She was trembling and tears were on her cheeks, even though her eyes were hard. Her dagger was covered in blood.

"You saw what I did to that boy," she said.

"It's only what we have to do," I said. "None of us like it, but we can't blame you." She held up her hand and backed away from me.

"You don't understand. It's what I'll do to anyone in my way. I made a vow, and I can't kill you, but you're in my way too, and what I have to do is what I can't do," she said. There was none of the confident, glowing girl Felix had loved and I'd admired so much. Tillo came here for freedom, and none of us had known what that meant until it was challenged.

"Are we still allies?" I asked. She looked at the ground.

"Yes, but you can't trust me. You can't turn your back to me or let me guard you at night. You're safer without me. I'll fight beside you against anyone else, but when they're gone you know what comes next," she said. I never knew how strong Tillo was, stronger than any of us, maybe. If I wasn't her friend, I'd be dead already.

* * *

Calvary POV

I don't know why I was so fussy with Emma's wounds. Two days ago I'd have killed her as soon as I saw her. I'd never been able to trust anyone but Dustin, but I found myself friends with a Career. All she was ever taught was that people like me were targets to be killed, and she didn't. She was greater than I'd ever thought a Career could be. Making a friend made her weaker and hurt her chances of the victory she'd trained for all her life. How did she do it?

Surely somewhere in the mall I could find a simple first aid kit. Emma's wounds weren't that bad, just some scrapes. The worst was the blood loss from her head wound. It was bleeding way more than it should have been. I searched along the walls of assorted and mismatched shops.

Maybe it was because Emma was so much like Dustin. I never had friends because I could never depend on people. I couldn't depend on my parents not to die and leave us. I couldn't depend on the Peackeepers that killed them or the villagers who left us to starve. Every one of them wanted me as the lawbreaking thief or the poacher who took their livestock. Emma didn't care about any of that. I could turn my back to her without fear. She was strong enough not to die and kind enough to want to be with me. It was a new feeling, and it was terrifying and exhilarating.

A cannon went off as I searched. It didn't worry me; Emma was barely hurt. It was probably the small girl, and it was probably the fierce girl who did it. It brought us down to five, and it brought me and Emma a step closer to something neither of us knew the outcome of.

* * *

Emma POV

Calvary insisted I stay in the Cornucopia and lie down. I _was_ a little dizzy, and I was tired from the fight. I lay on some blankets and thought about what came next. I didn't want to kill Calvary. I didn't even know if I could. She was part of my pack now, and wolves don't turn on their packs. She was all I had left, and I couldn't betray a trust I knew was hard for her to give.

I didn't know if I was brave enough to die. It was easy to say I'd be noble and let Calvary win, but when I got there, I was reminded of what that meant for me. I couldn't kill Calvary and I couldn't die. There was no right choice.

I heard a footstep at the mouth of the Cornucopia and smiled.

"Calvary?" I said. I pushed away a pile of blankets and sat up to greet her. A knife flashed and I saw Tillo bent over me. She was too close and I was too weary to dodge, and her knife sank into my chest. I fell back and coughed, and she pulled the knife out and thrust it back in. She wasn't joyous as she did so, just cold. I was a big bad Career and she was worried I wouldn't die from one stab. She was right. The first thing we learned at the Academy was to keep stabbing until our target stops moving. It isn't easy to kill someone with a knife. It takes cold determination.

Tillo didn't learn from the Academy. She only struck three times, but it was enough. I knew I'd lost too much blood, and my heart fluttered through its shredded tissue. I gasped and fought and tried to cling to life, but I knew there was no hope. I almost wanted to thank Tillo. She made my decision for me. Death was every bit as scary as I feared, but somehow it wasn't unbearable. When my family flashed through my head, Calvary was there too. She was all that was left of the pack now.

* * *

 **6th place: Emma Wolfe- stabbed by Tillo**

 **We're at the point where I have to cut someone who got a lot of votes but not a _whole_ lot of votes. It's that close. I wrote her death like this to show that Careers have an edge, but they're not invincible. Sometimes they trip on a rock and someone from Twelve kills them at the Bloodbath. I've never had a Career bond so closely with anyone in my Games. I tend to get a lot of loners. Emma didn't have Pray's mercilessness, and she almost didn't want to win. She fought hard and did well, but this wasn't her Games. Thanks xQueen-of-apples-X for Emma. She was skilled and formidable, but also human.**

 **Only five left. Time to start voting for who you want to win. Please PM those votes so we can maintain suspense. It wouldn't be fun if everyone knew. There's only one winner, so everyone pick your one choice.**


	43. Choices Made

_Estrella Vasquez POV_

What a letdown. Did these kids think this was playtime? There's no room for friends in the Games. I'd have killed my partner myself if the idiot didn't get himself killed by the boy from Three. It's like they didn't take any pride in their work. Alliances and farm trash. Look where it got them. What a waste of time. I'd have to check in at the Academy and make sure they sent me real potential next year.

District One POV

Hunter was a thief and a troublemaker. Good riddance. Our little princess Emma was a different story. We had such high hopes for her. We may have been the last Career District in the running, but sixth was a pretty poor showing. We asked Madeline if she planned to start training to bring honor to her sister and her District. Her response? Nu-UH. She was going to be a hairdresser like her mother. Kids these days.

* * *

 _Cordin Magnetism-_ Demetria POV

I was in the final five. I never would have imagined it. Maybe everything was lining up for me in one of those freak happenings. I could win just like Toby did. Once in a great while it happened, and I could be the lucky one. Only four more to go.

* * *

 _Abigail Fuse-_ Reiner POV

She struck me as a smart one back in the training center. Abigail lasted a long time. I didn't see her at the feast. She must have been the cannon that went off just before. She must have gotten caught in the smoke. It was lucky for me she had. I may have been bigger and better trained, but that girl was clever. She might have been the end of me.

* * *

 _Skyler Dacher-_ Hadley POV

If I hadn't volunteered, maybe Skyler would have won. She wouldn't have been with me, and things would have been different. I came here to see my family again. Was it worth it? Surely nothing was worth this. Skyler died abandoned and alone. I'd never know if she slipped away before or after I left her. I was a coward, and she deserved better. I didn't deserve to win, but I knew she wanted to. For her, I would try.

* * *

 _Felix Veaux-_ Calvary POV

I didn't know what to feel. Felix was my District partner. I'd known him, however casually, for years. But whatever attacked Emma wasn't Felix. Felix was kind and gentle, not a savage killer. I hated seeing what the Games did to him, and I hated seeing him. We all become like him in the end. Everyone from Pray to Cornflower was a killer just for living.

* * *

Reiner POV

Somewhere, Khaleesy was watching me. She was counting the Tributes and daring to hope that I might come home to her. She would be planning the wedding and picking colors and flowers. I knew I had it in me to win. Before, I'd never wanted to pay the price. Body and soul, they can't both survive the Games. I'd tried so heart to keep myself. For Khaleesy, I would give it all. The others didn't matter anymore. I knew their worth and I knew what the word was for what I would do. Khaleesy would get her love back, but he would come back a murderer.

There weren't many Tributes left in the Arena. It took me hours to find one. The little girl was nestled in the back of a store filled with pink streamers and stuffed animals. She was hiding in a thin pop-up tent painted like a castle, and she was holding a stuffed elephant. She wasn't armed, and I was able to attack with ease. She looked up at me and started to cry. I threw my spear anyway.

* * *

Tillo POV

I tried to sleep with blood on my hands. What I'd done was necessary, but it would never stop hurting. That was what it meant to be a Victor. Did Page ever wake up hearing her victims cry out for justice? Were any of them at peace?

I thought of Puridee, trembling by a television and quaking under the gaze of a man old enough to be her father. I thought of all I could do for her and people like us. I thought of what I'd already done to people like me, and wondered if it could be forgiven. If it was too late, I could bear it. For my freedom and hers I could bear the guilt. That's also what it is to be a Victor. It's pain and guilt and ultimate acceptance. Never peace- I could see it from Toby and Erwin- but acceptance. I could do the best I could, and life would be bearable. Freedom cost so much, but I'd never stop fighting.

* * *

Demetria POV

I shouldn't have hoped. It flitted away as easily as it came when I saw the boy. I thought maybe he'd see it was me and not a threat, and he'd stop. He didn't, and I couldn't understand why. It isn't right to kill children. How did any of us do it? No matter what people tell us, some things just aren't right. I didn't want to rebel. I wanted to hug my mother. Now I'd never get to again. Why are things like this?

* * *

 **5th place: Demetria Rhye- Speared by Reiner**

 **Demetria had no business making it this far. The second you guys stopped voting for her I was waiting to take her out. Not that I didn't like her. She was just extremely vulnerable. In another year, she'd have been a Bloodbath, but you saved her even then. It takes someone as young as her to drive home what the Games would really mean. I'd have had her win if you voted her to the top, but it would have been a pain to find a way to make it realistic. She didn't get that far, but she had me worried. She got two votes, but that's not enough anymore. Thanks ThegeekyTributeLLP for Demetria. I don't often get Tributes with real weaknesses and age-appropriate abilities. Demetria didn't change for the Games, and innocence never survives here.**

 **I'll assume votes stay the same unless you send changes, especially the two who voted for Demetria.**


	44. Love Always Prevails

Chimera POV

What an outrage! Demi was too darling for this. The people weren't going to like this. Mink was a bully, so I didn't miss him, but Demi was just so adorable. They just _killed_ her! Right onscreen! Can they _do_ that?

* * *

District Nine POV

Another year, two more deaths. We haven't had a Victor yet and we didn't expect much this year. If we'd had one, it would have been Mink, but he wasn't as strong as he thought. It's always the hardest when the Tributes are young. Demi's family still hasn't left their house. We cover their shifts and bring them meals. So many of us have been through this before, and so many of us have been on the receiving end of the care. Demi's family has done the same for us. We're all in this together.

* * *

Calvary POV

I screamed a primal scream and grabbed Emma in both arms, shaking her and slapping her. I shouted her name over and over, begging her to get up and open her eyes. She couldn't die. She was a Career. Careers always won. She was stronger than I was and I could count on her. This couldn't be happening. Not her, not just like my parents. Everything broke, and I broke with it.

I'd almost grown softer in the Games. Through it all, I'd never killed anyone. I'd been with the Careers or just with Emma, and I'd learned to trust in the last place possible. How could the Games manage to hurt me even more?

I wanted to show Emma the respect she deserved, but I didn't know how. I couldn't bury her in a mall, and they'd take her away even if I did. I thought of her family and the people missing her at home. I wanted her to be with them, and I did the closest thing I could.

One of the most popular things for people to buy in the past must have been jewelry, because not ten stores went by without one filled with shining rocks. I held up my hand in a halting motion, pleading with the hovercraft or whatever they used to wait a moment. I ran to the closest jewelry store and scanned the shelves hurriedly. I didn't know what Emma liked, but she was lovely and fierce. A collar necklace covered in ice-blue stones seemed to fit. I brought it back to her and laid it across her chest. She'd be home soon. I'd never see her again. I wanted to show everyone in One that even across nine Districts and even though we lived in different worlds, we were friends. We were all in this together. Emma deserved better, but it was all I had.

* * *

Reiner POV

My heart seemed so harden after I killed the girl. I wanted to get the rest over with and get home to Khaleesy. The lights faded and I realized it was night. An entire day had passed around me. Two cannons had gone off, one from me and one from someone else. Maybe the other was Tillo, or maybe the other girl from the feast. They'd be the same in the end.

The Arena was quiet and desolate with so few people left. Days ago, I was laughing with Shogo and watching Tillo and Felix fall in love. Before that, we all assured Lyte we'd stand together forever. All that was gone now. There was no charity or mercy left, only life and death.

I saw the girl sifting through merchandise in a nondescript store and aimed my atlatl spear at her. The shaft slid into the wooden throwing piece and it sailed at her head. She must have heard something, because she turned at the last moment and ducked. There was no where for her to run- I stood close enough to the store entrance that she couldn't run past me. I started to advance and she drew a sickle from a strap on her back. She'd have to be pretty good. I was a great deal taller than she was and trained in close combat. I prepared for a fight.

The girl was smart. She backed around an aisle, keeping me away from her as she inched toward the openness of the shop door. When I got within range, she swept her sickle at my feet. I dodged the blow, but while I was off-balance, she slammed the shaft into my chest, knocking me back into the scattered shards of glass. Pinpricks lanced into my back and legs, making me hiss. I was far from down, and I got up with only a slight limp.

I knew I had to get inside her strike. When she aimed her sickle at my throat, I ducked under it and grabbed her collar, flinging her to the ground. Her arms went out to catch herself, and her grip loosened. I grabbed her sickle and tried to wrestle it away from her. It was clear I was stronger, but she didn't give up. I hauled her torso up as she struggled to pull back.

Her arm sliced forward, and the skin on my neck split open like a paper cut. Blood started to pour from my throat and I dropped her sickle, clamping my hands over my wound. She struck again with the ragged glass, lacerating my cheek and lips. I grabbed her throat to distract her. She bent my fingers back until they snapped, and I pulled my hand away. She struck with the again and my eye screamed in pain and leaking liquid. The pain faded quickly as my blood ebbed away. The girl scrabbled back away from me and stopped out of reach.

"Tell Khaleesy I love her," I begged the girl, unsure if she even heard. I said her name again and again as my voice began to fail. I wanted it to be the last thing I ever heard. I got my wish.

* * *

 **4th place: Reiner Ludwig- Exsanguinated by Calvary (okay, she just cut his throat, but this sounds cooler)**

 **Reiner went up and down in popularity. Some people didn't like that he was a trained non-Career, but I did the best I could to get as close to canon as popular with Peacekeepers and such. I messed up a bit, but life goes on. He didn't end up getting much advantage, since he didn't do much fighting. Reiner doomed himself when his character development called for him to become merciless. You can't just kill Demi and get any votes. Thanks thebigpig for Reiner. His form was the single longest one I have ever gotten, so no details were lost. I hope I got everything in there. Reiner was kind, unique in his culinary and juvenile skills, and imperfect enough to falter. He didn't die a monster, just a fallible man.**

 **The chapter title lies, because I'm like that.**

 **Final three. Change your votes if you want or I'll assume they're the same. Almost there!**


	45. In the End

Sequoia POV

I never try to predict the Games. It's useless. I wasn't the favorite in my own Games, although I was a contender. I wasn't sure about Ashlyn allying with Demetria, but it did them good with sponsors and support. There's always one or two Tributes who die inevitably by mutt, and this time it was our turn. Reiner was a bundle of contradictions. He was a trained, gentle boy from Seven who didn't know who he was. Such is the Games that now we'll never know.

* * *

District Seven POV

Khaleesy didn't buy a wedding dress. She bought a black dress and we haven't seen her in anything else since we watched Reiner die. In time she might find someone else, but healing isn't quick. The Forrests ate better with one fewer mouth. They kept the empty chair and left the empty room. We could tell Woodley blamed himself, but none of us did. Courage fails where love is willing.

* * *

 _Emma Wolfe-_ Calvary POV

I took a last look at my only friend. She was resplendent in the air over the shattered skylight. I couldn't imagine why she'd want to befriend an urchin from Ten. Whatever her reasons, she showed me that people aren't always my enemies. I'd never have another friend like her, but because of her, I could have another friend.

* * *

 _Reiner Ludwig-_ Tillo POV

I couldn't show Reiner mercy, but I could mourn him. My eyes misted when I saw him on the wall across from me. We started our alliance with such hope and life. I was all that was left. I was the one to adapt to the Games, giving away pieces of my humanity for a chance at liberty. I'd do it again if I had another chance, and it pained me. Just two more children. Home was so close. Puridee might even dare to hope, and I felt a spark I didn't know I had left. Maybe if I got back, I could even smile with her.

* * *

Hadley POV

This late in the Game, sponsorships were rare. Everything was so expensive it was difficult to send more than a pea. A lot of people must have been on my side, because the package under the parachute was as long as my arm.

I saw evidence of the expense when I opened it. The short sword was made of cheap, unshiny metal. Its handle was wooden and undecorated, but serviceable. There was a map of the Arena underneath it. The other Tributes weren't marked, so its use was limited, but now I knew about the basement.

My thoughts went to Toby. He was so tormented and desperate. What would it take for him to give a child a sword and tell her to kill? He was probably weeping when he sent it. He knew how little chance I had and how little chance he had. I was his and my only hope, and I was pretty pathetic.

With so few people left, it wasn't easy for us to even find each other. Last night no one had died. If we didn't find each other soon, the Gamemakers would find a way to force us. Honestly, I wanted to hide, but it wouldn't do any good. I headed for the Cornucopia. It was the only landmark we all knew, and someone would go there eventually.

It was too late to realize how colossal my mistake was. How could I have volunteered for a one in twenty-four chance at life just to bring together a broken family? There were so many other ways. I should have been more patient. I put my life on the line without a second thought. Now I reaped what I sowed.

I found another Tribute before I even descended the stairs. The girl from Ten rounded a corner and stood thirty feet away from me. We looked at each other and her eyes mirrored the fear and fatalism in mine. She took a step forward and took out her sickle. Fear shot through me and I shrank back. I could be dead in minutes. I could stop living that easily.

The girl stopped ten feet away.

"I don't want to either," she said. We both just wanted to live, and only one of us could. We started the fight.

* * *

Calvary POV

I must not have looked as terrified as I felt, because the other girl looked at me like I was a fearsome warrior. I wasn't brave enough to fight. I was too cowardly to die. I aimed the point of my sickle at her head, hoping for a quick killing blow. She ducked under it and held out her sword. It seemed unnatural to her, like she wasn't used to weapons. I wished I wasn't as well.

I slammed my staff against her knee and felt it buckle under the blow. She fell forward and rolled aside when I tried to slash her stomach. She stabbed up at me and scraped a shallow cut in my side. I stepped back to get out of range and she got to her feet. She charged at me, slashing wildly and desperately. She landed a hit on my arm and blood soaked my sleeve. I could see the tears in her eyes as we both fought for our lives.

I saw an opening and risked everything. We were by the stairs, and a ledge hemmed us in. I pressed in closer to her, driving her back a step away from my sickle. Then I dropped my weapon and shoved both hand against her shoulders. She flipped over the railing and grabbed at me as she started to fall. Her nails left scratches on my arms as I evaded her grip. Then she fell through the air. Her scream cut off when she hit the ground. A cannon brought me to the final two. One way or another, it would be over soon.

* * *

Hadley POV

Running and hiding isn't always enough. My plan had been to outlast and slip under the radar, like Cornflower. I needed a perfect storm for that to work, and I didn't get it. Her Arena was an icy wasteland, perfect for hiding and perfect for picking off the others. The Gamemakers didn't like that, and in this Arena, the only way to die was at each others' hands. Despite it all, I got what I wanted. Surely now my family would reunite. They would want to mourn me together.

* * *

 **3rd place: Hadley Kinneth- pushed over a railing by Calvary**

 **Hadley and Calvary warred in the votes for a few days. At the final count, Calvary had two more. Hadley was an enigma to me. She didn't have the skills to volunteer, but she did have a strategy that got her pretty far. The Games didn't change her as much, since she didn't do much fighting, but her friendship with Skyler was compelling to write. She didn't have enough of a following to save her, and she didn't have the combat skills for a fight with Calvary. Third place is better than the Capitol expected for her, but close doesn't matter in the Games. Thanks Primaryfocus for Hadley. Sometimes people make dumb decisions, like going to the Games to get their family together. It was a noble decision, but not a very sensible one. Hadley had realistic flaws and a loving heart.**

 **Next chapter's the finale. I'm impatient, so you got until I write the chapter to change your vote if you want to. Otherwise I'll assume they stayed the same.**


	46. There Can Only Be One

Toby POV

I sent her to her death. I should have told her to keep hiding and let the others fight. I knew that wouldn't work. The public hates a poor show. They would have sent some terrible mutt to force her to fight or die. It looked like it was quick. People say that like it helps. I was alone for another year. Will Six ever get another Victor? Will I be here until I die, taking two children a year with me? Hadley, Lyte, Mercedes, Jag... so many already. So many more to come.

* * *

District Six POV

Physician, heal thyself. Lyte was going to be the one to escape Six and raise us all up. We'll have to wait for someone else. Hadley's family did end up moving back together. Losing a member was too unbearable to weather apart, and their money wasn't stretched as thin anymore. The day before, Olivan wore a familiar chain bracelet. It had been too painful before, but there are stages to mourning. He was able to remember Hadley now, and he would never forget her.

* * *

Calvary POV

I just killed a girl. I knew it was necessary and I knew no one would blame me for it but her family, but that would never stop the guilt. All through the following night I'd lain awake, waiting for the other survivor to come for me. Whoever she was, she'd lasted as long as I had. One of us was about to have a perfect fighting record, and the other would lose just one battle.

Dustin was probably watching me right now. Would he watch the other girl sneak up on me and scream vain warnings as he saw her cut me down? Would he cheer as his sister murdered one last victim? I knew he'd always love me. That was the only thing I didn't have to worry about. No matter what I did, he would love me. Even if I died, he would love me. If I didn't win, he'd have a lifetime of pain. That was even worse than me dying. Until it happened, I couldn't know.

* * *

Tillo POV

I'd been searching ever since the cannon went off midday yesterday. The other girl was probably searching too, and the Gamemakers decided to give us a hand. A gate descended from the ceiling behind me, barring a section of the mall and drawing us closer. I wouldn't hesitate to do what I had to do, but I knew it was wrong. It was kill or die for both of us, and if I didn't come out, I wouldn't blame the Victor. It would be my fault for not fighting well enough.

I heard a gate crash down ahead of me and knew the fight was minutes away. Sure enough, the final girl appeared as I approached an empty fountain. Blood stained a patch on her arm, but she was strong enough for a fight. When she saw me, we both charged.

She swung her sickle while I was still to far away to use my dagger. I felt it rush past my arm as I pivoted. She followed her strike with a sweep of her staff, catching my leg and making me stumble. I aimed my weight at her staff as I fell, and it snapped as I tumbled to the ground. She grabbed the blade half and suddenly our ranges were equal. She aimed the blade at my face and I dodged too late to avoid a deep scratch of my cheek. As I dodged I lashed out at her eyes with pointed fingers. As soon as I hit she reflexively recoiled, but I knew some damage had been done. Her right eye was bloodshot when she opened it again. Her cry of pain seared my soul, but I pressed on for the kill.

She stuck her blade into my chest, and my ribs stopped it from puncturing my heart. I felt metal scrape my bones as she pulled it out for another blow. We were evenly matched, and any mistake on my part would mean certain death. Any advantage I could get and any dirty trick to bring her down was fair game.

The girl interrupted my thoughts by hooking my leg with her foot and shoving me backwards. As I fell, she bore down on me for a final blow. My eye fell on her sickle and instead of dodging, I hesitated. I shifted and inch downward and her sickle sank into my breast, providing me just enough cushion to escape instant death. I screamed in agony as I launched my attack. The other girl thought that blow would finish me, and she was perilously close to right. Her collar was a foot away from my chest, and the instant her sickle entered my breast I grabbed the back of her neck with my free hand. I pulled her closer to me as I drove my dagger into her forehead. Her skull splintered with a sound like snapping celery and blood oozed all around my blade. She fell on top of me and started to convulse, mewling and twitching her limbs. Her body pressed against mine and I vomited across myself and the floor. I crawled away and pressed my face to the ground as I waited the horrible moments it took for her cannon to go off. I cried for her pain and her death, and when it finally sounded, I cried for her relief.

* * *

Calvary POV

In the instant before her dagger reached my head, I had time only for fleeting images. Emma denying her heritage and befriending me. My parents the night before they died. Dustin going hungry to give me the food I needed to grow. All those things were gone now, and I couldn't escape my fate. I prayed that Dustin would heal.

* * *

Tillo POV

The Anthem played and a voice screamed my name from the skies. I didn't care about their prize or their adoration. I wanted to see Puridee. Pain radiated from my chest and my face was sticky with blood. A tiny hovercraft approached me in the hallway and a claw scooped me up. I didn't care what they did. No matter how they poked me and changed me, I was free. No one could ever take that again.

* * *

 **2nd place: Calvary Warsaw- stabbed by Tillo**

 **Calvary's submitter was one of the most enthusiastic and passionate submitters I've ever gotten. She made sure I gave Calvary my best, and I did. Calvary grew, faltered, changed, and became a better person. She was popular throughout and fluctuated so greatly I didn't know what to do with her for a while. It was close in the end, but Tillo pulled ahead. I am so sorry to have to do this to Calvary's submitter and her supporters. I put this in your hands, and I have to see it through. You have my sympathies. Thanks Jms2 for Calvary. She earned our support and she earned my respect. She did Ten proud. She lived hard and died hard.**

 **1st place: Tillo Peters**

 **Tillo stared out as a single paragraph. It took a whole story to flesh her out into a rounded character. I thought she'd die before she developed that far, but you told me otherwise. Tillo ended up winning by one vote. It wasn't mine- this is your story, so I didn't vote. I _was_ pleased with your decision, because I wanted Tillo to win. I'm a sucker for freedom- I'm American, after all. Tillo had the determination to fight and the grit to make it through. She sacrificed a lot of herself to get here, and before she could exercise her freedom she changed so much she's hardly the same person. Congratulations, Horsepanda98. Take your place with my other Victors and treasure your living Tillo.**

 **There will be some more chapters to clean up loose ends and set up future projects. Sorry there were so many girls at the end. This time it wasn't my fault. Rudolph won last year, so I'm getting a little better.**


	47. What Happens Next

Cornflower POV

I've never had a Tribute come so close to winning. I'd hoped maybe Calvary would help me mentor and I could stay by myself more. Felix and Calvary were both stronger than I was. They would have been better mentors. A familiar feeling I couldn't describe filled my chest, and I knelt against the wall of my bedroom and tapped my head against it until the thoughts went away.

* * *

District Ten POV

Mr. Veaux closed the butcher shop. He had no one to pass it on to and nothing in it but painful memories. Felix died before Emma's poison stopped his heart. We remembered him as the man we knew he was- kind, lighthearted, and jovial. A few bleeding heart Capitolites approached Dustin and offered him money and luxuries. He hurled profanities at them and told them what they could do with their charity. He burned down his old shack and started wandering the District. We guarded our livestock a little less carefully, and somehow our largest chickens kept getting overlooked at night.

* * *

Tillo POV

I don't know how many times I woke up, but when I stayed up, I got the feeling I'd been in bed a long time. I felt hollow inside, like everything that happened was far away and unimportant. It would all come back someday, and I knew it would hurt, but for now it was gone. It registered that I was totally naked under the covers. No man had ever seen so much as my thigh. My father would be furious if he knew. I was beyond caring.

I drew back the sheets and examined my uncovered form. It was just a body to me, just a tool for getting around. I noticed immediately it wasn't the one I entered the Arena with. My breast bore no mark from Calvary's sickle. Clearly it had been too damaged to save and the Capitol had used the excuse to "augment" me. Two cartoonishly perky lumps sat on my chest, each doubled in size. My dark hair had been thickened and extensions made it reach to my hips. I ran a strand through my hand and saw it was shiny and fine. My skin was a shade lighter and smooth as silk. I could only imagine what they'd done to my face, and when I saw a hand mirror on the nightstand by my bed, I took a glance.

It could have been worse. My eyes were bigger and my nose was smaller. My cheeks seemed both rounder and finer, giving me a look of childish innocence. It wasn't until I saw my lips that I got mad. Those curs curled them up and gave me a permanent tiny smile. Screw that.

Screw the cameras as well, because I had five minutes of peace before Remus burst in. He saw my nude form and his eyes bugged out. He sputtered an apology and hid behind the door while I wrapped myself in a sheet.

"How's Eight's newest Victor?" he crowed when I told him I was decent. He sat next to me on the bed and squeezed me in a hug. My poor hacked-up bosom ached and I extricated myself.

"Can I see Puridee?" I asked. I didn't care about their awards and their speeches. I didn't do this for them. I did it for me and I did it for her.

"Slow down, you're barely presentable. We still have the coronation," Remus said. He smiled a carefree smile that I hated. What did he know about pain and sacrifice? He was a fatted pet. I thought of another Tribute talking with another escort and my heart ached. They weren't here because of me. I better make my life worth living, because I knew theirs were.

Baste was as clueless as ever, and I bore it as he and his underlings fussed and painted. They gave me a lacy white dress and wove delicate blue flowers in my hair. My makeup was pastel and ethereal, like an elusive fairy. I didn't have any idea what they were going for, but I didn't care. I wanted to get it over with and go home.

* * *

 **One of the most fun things about writing Hunger Games fanfics is how delightfully illogical characters can be. There's so much unreliable narration and so many bizarre choices. For example, Tillo's stylists went for an innocent and pure look with fierce, bloodstained Tillo. Why? Because they're ditzes.**


	48. Reunions and Secrets

Tillo POV

Seutonius sat down and I thought of the best way to kill him. He didn't deserve that. He was nothing but kind to all of us. He was the only one around here who tried to understand us. Once I traded subservience for ferocity, it was hard to go back. I would never be the girl I was before.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Tillo," Seutonius said. His smile was genuine, even though his eyes were tired. Of all the people in the Capitol, I was perhaps happiest to see him.

"Your victory was quite an upset for us. Of course, _I_ wasn't surprised. I knew you had it in you," he said. He almost made me smile.

"I was as surprised as you were. I didn't think I'd win. I only knew I would fight until I couldn't fight anymore. It turned out that point never came," I said.

"What are your plans as our newest Victor?" he asked.

"I plan to live however I please," I said, and I finally smiled. Seutonius drew back in mock fear.

"I hope nothing unseemly pleases you!" he said to me and the audience. Even now, when I was a Victor, there were limits and there were warnings. I was thankful for his concern. The crowd stirred.

"Some of us are restless to see your highlights. Are you ready?" he asked. I wasn't ready. I didn't want to see what I became in order to get here. No one would want their worst sins and most shameful moments broadcast for the world to see. That must be why the Capitol does it.

Death upon death flickered before me, and some of them were at my hands. I felt myself grow agitated and fearful, and I glanced around the room for attackers. As I watched myself kneel beside Felix, a feral growl rose from my throat and was lost under the blaring video. I bought my freedom with innocent blood and watched the hovercraft retrieve my shredded body. The crowd applauded and the Anthem played a final time.

The people silenced as President Galba appeared on a resplendent red carpet, bearing my crown on a velvet pillow. It wasn't like the crowns I'd seen before. Instead of shining gold or silver, mine was a circlet of sturdy, burnished iron. There was a hole in the thick band with a ring of stones around it. The one on top was white, and the others darkened progressively to a jet-black stone on the bottom. When she placed it on my head, it was heavy. It felt like it weighed me down.

"Congratulations. The odds are in your favor. May your life bring glory to Panem and security to its people," the president said. It wasn't a fight I could win, and I nodded respectfully.

* * *

Crowds of people cheered as I stepped off the train in Nine. I noted the absence of my family and hadn't expected anything different. I walked myself to my old home and let myself in. My father was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me. Puridee, who was sitting on the living room floor, ran to me and hugged me silently. My father started to say something, but I cut him off.

"You don't have two daughters anymore. I'm an orphan," I said. I held Puridee tight and continued. "My sister is welcome to stay with me if she ever desires. Should she stay with her guardians, I will provide for her generously and I trust she will decide her own relationships." My father started to shake as his skin darkened. My mother smile at me from behind him, and I smiled back. I knew Puridee wasn't bold enough to escape with me yet, but I'd be ready when she was.

I chose a secluded house for myself in the Victor's Village and started to make myself a home. On the first night, I only had time to move in a few things, so I lay in a mostly empty bedroom and stared at a bare ceiling.

My father hadn't stopped me from leaving, but he didn't chase me away either. It was impossible to know how he felt about me. He was brought up not to show those things. If he hadn't have loved me, he wouldn't have cared what became of me. Surely his rules and regulations meant he did care about me in his dictatorial fashion. Of course, I didn't tell him everything.

The first day I woke up after the Games, the doctors told me something that rocked my world. I never thought something like that would happen. Before I got to know Felix and we fell in love, Hunter came by my room to discuss alliance strategies. I was foolish and giddy with the freedom I'd found in the Capitol. My father would call me a whore if he knew, and I wasn't sure he wasn't right. It was worth being a whore to have a piece of Hunter forever. I would have preferred Felix, and I'd always feel guilty for cheating on him even if it was before we were together, but we can't always get what we want.

* * *

 **Yeah, Tillo and Hunter had a one-night stand. She was newly free, he was available... things happen. She and Felix barely knew each other and she didn't know she was pregnant in the Arena. Tillo's submitter requested it and thought it was a little silly, but this is fanfiction. Anything goes, and these are your characters, so I'll write in just about anything. There will be one more chapter to complete the story and then it's on to the next one.**


	49. Five Years Later

There is no freedom in Panem. I should have known then. Every bit and piece I can carve out is a treasure. It may not be total, but it's more than I had before.

Unlike most Victors, I was lucky enough to get a choice. I could give my body to everyone or to one man. I chose the latter, and the Capitol took care of the rest. The citizens voted on a panel of eligible bachelors, and I won the prize of marrying Commodus Boll. After a loveless romance and a loveless marriage, things only got worse.

We told everyone my son was Commodus', but he of course knew the truth. He resented being forced to father a bastard and he took it out on me once. I say "once" because he learned that I may not be completely free, but I am a Victor and I don't fear violence. After that he didn't resist when I took Felix to live in the Victor's Village. Puridee joined us a few years later, after our parents started asking when she was going to get engaged. She'll do it when she's ready and if she decides to.

A lot can happen in five years. I don't have to mentor every year, since Page is around for Eight. One mercy of a forced marriage is now the others mostly leave me alone. It just wouldn't be proper to rape a married woman. Of course, I had to develop a talent. I managed to convince them that public speaking was a talent, and now I talk about Panem's forgotten children who live in abusive families. No one really cares, but it's a safe cause. If the people have to get fired up, let them get fired up about something other than the government.

Most of my time is spent at home with Felix and Puridee. She's a homebody, and she likes to take care of the cooking and cleaning. I tell her she can be whatever she wants, but if she wants to be a homemaker that's fine. Felix is growing up into a wonderful little boy. He takes after his real father, not the beast I'm chained to. Life is sweet when I'm with my real family.

All Victors are haunted by the specters of their Games. I'm torn between wishing Felix and the others had never been Reaped and secretly treasuring the time we had together. My room is practically a shrine to things gone by. I grabbed any promotional material I could find with bits of our alliance. Felix's official poster hangs above my bed. At night I pretend that's the way he'll always be, forever young and always smiling. I wake up crying as often as I wake up screaming. The Capitol knew what it was doing when they made the walls of the Victor's Village thick.

I'll never regret my participation in the Games. I'll bear the guilt of the children I killed, but they would have died anyway. If I had died in the Games, it still would have been better than my life before. I was prepared to die a free death I chose, and I ended up winning freedom for myself and Puridee. Seeing her even freer than I am, with no Capitol obligations and no eyes always watching, makes it all worthwhile. Seeing Felix carry on the values his father, Hunter, Reiner, Shogo and Lyte showed me gives me hope. There's nothing good about the Games, but I made some good come of it. It doesn't overwhelm the death I saw and the death I caused, but before, I never would have thought anything but horror came from the Games. Something good can come out of even the greatest evil, and for me, Puridee, and Felix, that's enough.

* * *

 **So ends another SYOT. Felix's full name is Felix Reiner Shogo Peters, but Tillo wouldn't call him that in her head all the time. I also didn't mention any Victors, since I don't know who will win successive games. This is one of the sadder endings I've written, but Tillo is strong. She doesn't need a rose garden. I'll start gathering Tributes for the 32nd Games right away, but it will take a while to get everything together. Check back soon!**


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